


falling and blooming

by krizzlesandblues



Series: of gods and celestial beings [2]
Category: Big Bang (Band), Winner (Band)
Genre: Drabble Collection, M/M, Multi, different plots per act, gods and celestial beings au, yes another god in here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-19
Updated: 2019-05-11
Packaged: 2019-08-25 20:15:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 24,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16667584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/krizzlesandblues/pseuds/krizzlesandblues
Summary: mino:seas and earthquakes, autumn, righteous bloodshed, creativity





	1. act 01 - welcome back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> timeline guide: this is set before **act 00** of _there's something warm about the snow_ by the way.

Mino had no plans to actually stay for a long time in the human realm. Not really. _Ever._  
  
So he really never understood why he even bothered to actually enroll in a human university to become an Arts student—well, to actually fall in line in the latter part of summer, waiting for his turn.  
  
Maybe because it was what Seunghoon— _that annoying god, really_ —advised him to do, as Mino became more restless every day. It must have irked the summer god so much he actually told him to go stay in the human world for a while and ‘learn more about the arts and the human lifestyle, while you’re at it.’  
  
At least, that was what Seunghoon had told him. Anyway, he had a point. Besides, he had to study the modern warfare humans had developed over time—and investigate.  
  
“Song Mino?” the clerk asked. “You’re enrolling as a senior, correct?”  
  
“Ah, yes,” Mino affirmed, sighing mentally in relief. He was _finally_ on his last year in school; despite the fact that he loved his art classes, sometimes he wished he never enrolled at all years ago when he could just study by himself.  
  
The clerk gave him his schedule and forms to fill up, and Mino went on his way as soon as he received them.  
  
It was so hot outside; can Seunghoon lower the summer temperature at least?  
  
( _Global warming,_ Seunghoon had emphasized many times already. _Global warming, okay, climate change—it’s not **my** fault!_)  
  
He stopped by at the nearest coffee shop to buy himself iced Americano then walked towards his apartment. It was just a block away from the university so he can just walk if he wanted to; he only rides on a taxi when it’s too cold and snowy to walk.  
  
Half an iced Americano later, he finally arrived at his apartment complex and went up towards his place. He’d been living alone in the apartment for two years ever since his roommate moved out when he went somewhere to study—a lonely silence Mino had grown accustomed to.  
  
Well, at least he could paint and enjoy his playlists by himself without fear of disturbing anybody else.  
  
So he was surprised to see _that roommate_ arranging various boxes inside the apartment, his now-blonde hair sticking up in all places as if he’d just rolled awake—or mussed many times already from all the re-arranging.  
  
“Oh, hi Mino,” his roommate greeted, smiling brightly at him. “I’m sorry if it’s just so sudden that I went back here without telling you beforehand . . . and yeah, giving you mess.”  
  
“Seungyoon,” Mino breathed in surprise, various emotions tightening his throat. He cleared his throat and said, “What—what are you doing here? I thought you’re not going back here anymore?”  
  
“I did say that,” Seungyoon chuckled shakily in embarrassment. “But apparently, I have to go back here. I had no place to stay in for a while—thankfully, the landlady told me your space can still have me. I hoped you wouldn’t mind having me here again.”  
  
“Well, I don’t really mind,” Mino reassured him, approaching the blond boy. “Anyway, what brings you here?”  
  
“I’m finished with all that . . . stuff that I had to deal with,” Seungyoon explained, plopping down on the couch. “I wanted to go back to school and maybe finish my music classes, but I don’t think I’ll be able to really accomplish that. So maybe I’ll just grab those special classes for guitar and music then stay here. I’m not sure yet, really,” Seungyoon grinned lopsidedly. “That probably means I’ll just be a bother here in your apartment for a while.”  
  
“You are _hardly_ a bother, Kang Seungyoon,” Mino muttered, sitting down beside him. “Besides, maybe you can take those special classes. I think there are still some slots left.”  
  
“You just came back from Yonsei?”  
  
Mino shrugged. “It’s my last year in school—I don’t want any unfinished business.”  
  
“Lucky you. At least you get to graduate.”  
  
“ _Fucking_ finally,” Mino groaned and stretched his arms, making Seungyoon laugh.  
  
“You really want to graduate already? I thought you loved your classes. You always told me that before.”  
  
“I love my classes—never my professors, save for some.”  
  
Seungyoon rose up to grab a glass of water for himself, then went back to the couch as he said, “So what’s gonna be our arrangement? Same as before or are there any changes yet?”  
  
“Same, same,” Mino told him. “I’d probably be up until wee hours of the morning, sleep late, and wake up late— my classes are all in the afternoon and evening, anyway.”  
  
“I see. That’s fine with me—I’d probably be a couch potato here while I’m thinking of taking those classes.”  
  
“Go take those classes, Seungyoon—you’re hardly the type of person who goes couch potato.”  
  
Seungyoon laughed. “You know me too well.”  
  
Mino shrugged, smirking.  
  
A few moments later Seungyoon murmured, “Well, it’s nice to be back, I suppose. I’d probably have to deal with your playlists and your complaints about your brushes and paints—”  
  
Mino smacked his arm, and Seungyoon whined with pain as he rubbed his arm. “It’s true, though!” the blond exclaimed, laughing.  
  
“Excuse me, _you’re_ the one who asked me to replay that one song from _my_ playlist—”  
  
“Did you ever hear me complain whenever you wake me up with your whines, Song Mino?”  
  
Mino sunk back on the couch. “Point taken. Continue, Mr. Kang.”  
  
Seungyoon rolled his eyes, snickering. “I’ll deal with those aforementioned, sure, but . . . I don’t know, but it feels good to anticipate what you’re going to paint every now and then again. That, and you’re a nice person to hang out with.”  
  
Mino smiled, his heart about to burst with so much . . . with so much joy. It had been really empty in the apartment ever since Seungyoon left, and now that he’s back . . .  
  
“Yeah. At least there’s someone I can talk to in the middle of the night, not just the walls.”  
  
. . . maybe autumn wouldn’t be so lonely again.


	2. act 02 - beyond the human cloak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> timeline: pre-act 00 of there's something warm about the snow

Classes went by for Mino in a pace he was able to keep up with. It was an endless swirl of paintings and palettes and plates, but he didn’t mind. Painting and drawing were just two of his favorites—and anyway, he was a god known for creativity.  
_A god._ Mino sighed quietly to himself, rearranging all his brushes in his desk.  
  
Of course, despite being in the human realm, his powers were not restrained even in his human cloak. He can still do anything he wanted as a god, but not so much as it may cause imbalance.  
  
Only, it was kind of awkward for him, since Seungyoon was most probably a human—and letting him know what he truly was is a taboo, a transgression of the rules the higher gods had imposed.  
  
And _most probably a human_ —for Seungyoon may or may not be a human, after all. A year ago he had a seatmate who was actually a being of the Underworld sent by a god. That seatmate dressed up as a pretty human girl and flirted with the famous basketball player in Yonsei—who, ultimately, was dragged to the pits of judgment in the Underworld as he had committed a grave crime against the dead.  
  
Needless to say, Mino had to clean up the mess despite the fact that he had no responsibility to do so.  
  
It was easier to be himself, at least, when Seungyoon wasn’t around in the apartment and he could just manipulate things without lifting a finger. Telekinesis and speed were really convenient especially when he was (feeling lazy or) rushing to get things done. But now, with Seungyoon back, he had to return to his human charade.  
  
It wasn’t much, nevertheless; he had to act human while in Yonsei, anyway.  
  
However, sometimes Mino wished he could let Seungyoon know the truth. Sometimes Mino wished he could say to Seungyoon that he had the freedom when he was gone—to be the _god_ , not to be the _human_ —despite the empty echoes he had to listen to every day.

  


Mino stood up from his desk, needing some fresh air and a bit of inspiration. It had been several hours since he sat down and thought of something to draw—and his canvas was still blank. He carefully closed his door as he went out, fearing that he might wake the sleeping Seungyoon, and tiptoed towards the kitchen to stick his note in the refrigerator. Grabbing his coat, he went out of the apartment, took the elevator down and walked outside in the wee morning hours.  
  
Mino took a deep breath, savoring the early autumn air. His season—when the leaves change their colors and fall to the ground, when the summer wind cools and everything starts to slow down.  
  
Needless to say, it was his favorite season.  
  
Mino walked around the streets aimlessly, trying to find inspiration in anything. The lampposts lighted his way, and the streets were empty.  
  
No— _not_ empty.  
  
Mino tensed up slightly, sensing somebody else’s presence close to him. He was sure it wasn’t a human presence—he would’ve known that—but something or someone from the other realm.  
  
At the corner of his eye, he spotted a moving shadow by his side, about to jump on him—  
  
Mino leaped back, landing a few meters away from the newcomer. A large, black, wolf-like beast was crouching across from him, growling deep in its chest. Its eyes were glowing crimson—a cursed beast, Mino realized.  
  
Probably one of those beasts who were sent again by the twisted deities on some other realm—not on the Underworld; he knew the deities there were not evil at all—to cause chaos in the human realm.  
  
It wasn’t really his duty to kill any beast, as there are those who were assigned by the higher gods to do such. Nevertheless, Mino knew he had no choice, as he was spotted by it.  
  
Anyway, he suddenly remembered that autumn was also the season where beasts and lower deities tend to frequent the human realm. Of course, as the god of the season, somehow he had the obligation to keep it at peace.  
  
Suddenly the wolf lunged at him, and Mino sent a huge gust of air to keep it away from him. He could probably weaken the wolf first before killing it—  
  
The wolf attacked once more, and Mino gave it a powerful kick on its shins. With a yelp the wolf retreated slightly, and Mino was stunned to see those shins recover from the attack he gave.  
  
Realizing that physical attacks will not harm the wolf gravely, he chanted a few deadly charms against the wolf, incapacitating it for a while. Wisps of acrid air surrounded the wolf as Mino manipulated the air with his fingers, twisting them to choke the wolf to death.  
  
Just as when Mino thought he had the beast at his mercy, the wolf roared, inhaling the toxic air. Mino was beyond stupefied.  
  
_How could this be?!_ Mino hissed in his head. _No mortal, no beast ever survives that air! And this beast just sucked it like that—what exactly is this beast?!!_  
  
Before Mino could even decipher what it was, the wolf lunged once more and managed to bite his left side. Mino cried out in pain and sudden feeling of terror—and he sent bolts of thunder from the sky to hit the wolf. Several bolts managed to hit it, electrocuting the beast and sending it to a shaking frenzy.  
  
Mino clutched his wounded, bloodied shoulder and gasped for air, horror and panic filling him. He felt it—as the wolf bit him, he felt his power being sucked away from him. Were it not for the thunder, he would’ve probably died.  
  
_Died._ Which one will die—his human cloak or his god self? He wasn’t sure, he didn’t know. He couldn’t even comprehend what was going on—or what to do with the monster in front of him.  
  
He was almost out of ideas—he couldn’t just reveal his god self in the human realm, nor unleash his fury especially that he didn’t know how to kill the beast efficiently. He was no battle god, like Seunghoon or Jiho—he was too much of a pacifist to even participate in a fight.  
  
Mino froze, seeing the beast struggle to stand up. He immediately thought of a plan—to flee from it and lead him towards a place where no humans would be harmed and end it there—but he had to be careful so as not to let it bite him again.  
  
The wolf started to leap towards him again, and before Mino could even turn back and run—  
  
Sweet-smelling air filled his nostrils, and warmth spread throughout his body. At the same time, he felt the cold air warm up with something he couldn’t identify.  
  
He’d felt this before, during one of those gatherings of the gods in the Great Hall. A floral scent around the Hall, a refreshing warmth like the spring sunshine. A healing presence, a youthful feel—  
  
“Mino!” he heard Seungyoon call out, and he turned to see him running towards them. “Are you all right?”  
  
“No, Seungyoon—run—” Mino tried to say, but he felt so weak he nearly crumpled to the ground.  
  
Seungyoon caught him with his arms, and gently sat Mino down on the concrete. “Just stay put for a while, Mino,” Seungyoon murmured, and turned to face the wolf.  
  
His beautiful face was hard with seriousness and irritation as he glared at the wolf, and he chanted out spells Mino had never heard before. At once, the beast started to howl and yelp in pain, convulsing on the street. Meanwhile, Mino could only gape in shock and wonder at the sight, seeing Seungyoon cast out the spells.  
  
_Was Seungyoon—could Seungyoon—be a god, too?_  
  
A few moments later, Seungyoon walked towards the beast, his right hand glowing. Realizing what Seungyoon might do, Mino cried out, “No!! Seungyoon—don’t let it bite you!!”  
  
Seungyoon smiled at him reassuringly. “Relax, Mino—I won’t let that happen.”  
  
Seungyoon crouched down near the wolf, and chanted another spell, his fingers moving. All of a sudden, wisps of black miasma was sucked towards a glass bottle Seungyoon was holding on his other hand. The beast shuddered and cried out, its sounds slowly turning and softening from roars to . . . a puppy’s cries?  
  
Soon, the glass bottle was filled with miasma, and Seungyoon promptly closed it with a silver cork. The beast was gone—in its place was a crying, thin puppy.  
  
_What the hell—that beast was a puppy?!!_  
  
Seungyoon gently cradled the puppy in his arms, soothing it with his fingers. The puppy calmed down immediately, burrowing on Seungyoon’s chest for warmth. Seungyoon then approached Mino quickly, and with his free arm, he gently touched Mino’s wounds with his fingertips and healed them immediately with a few spells.  
  
Mino felt himself recover quickly, as if nothing happened. He stared at Seungyoon, then at his wound, then back again at Seungyoon.  
  
“I know, I know, you deserve an explanation from me,” Seungyoon chuckled. “But let’s go back home for now—we better rest first.”


	3. act 02 - revelations

_setting: two days before the setting of this one:[act 00 of there's something warm about the snow](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16482668/chapters/38687150)_  
  
  
Mino was silent as he stared at Seungyoon, who was busy preparing tea in the kitchen. The puppy was asleep on the big chair by the couch, obviously depleted by whatever dark spell it was cursed unto.  
  
He only watched as the blond man (god) set the teapot down and the cups on the table, then poured tea for themselves.  
  
“I thought it would not be a good idea to have some coffee as you’re still recovering,” Seungyoon murmured. “Don’t worry, this tea will help you recover some of your strength somehow.”  
  
Mino silently took a cup of tea and sipped it. Seungyoon was right; bit by bit, he could feel his powers being restored.  
  
“What . . .” Mino started uneasily, unable to look at Seungyoon.  
  
“Yes?” Seungyoon prompted when he didn’t speak for a moment.  
  
“What are you, exactly?” Mino managed to ask after stuttering a little. “A god, a lower deity—what? Are you really even human?”  
  
“I am a god like you, Mino—I am a god of the earth, the god of spring,” Seungyoon replied quietly, a smile ghosting on his full lips. “Well, I never knew you were actually a god until I felt your presence when I tried to look for you—I was suddenly worried when I read that note on the refrigerator.”  
  
“I never realized that you were also a god like me,” Mino muttered. “Wait, why were you suddenly worried?”  
  
Seungyoon sighed and lowered the cup to his lap. “I suddenly woke up when I felt something . . . weird, as if there was an intruder or something. I thought it was just you on the living room, but when I read that note I really felt . . . uneasy,” Seungyoon explained.  
  
“I wanted to look for you, but I had no idea where you went. I figured you would be all right . . . not until I heard a sharp thunderclap,” he went on. “I knew it wasn’t just any other thunderclap—it was probably sent by a god—and I immediately thought of you, for some crazy reason. Turns out my suspicion regarding the thunderbolt was right when I teleported towards the sound of the thunder.”  
  
“Thank you for saving me, Seungyoon,” Mino said after a moment. “I really would’ve . . . died if you didn’t come earlier.”  
  
“Please don’t say that,” Seungyoon winced, a pained look in his eyes. “And . . . you’re welcome.”  
  
Mino’s lips turn up slightly. “I wish you told me earlier you weren’t a human, though.”  
  
“How could I tell you—you never asked me! Besides, it would be crazy for me to do that . . . and anyway, I really couldn’t sense you. I am actually surprised you never knew I am a god—I’d thought all along I was being obvious,” Seungyoon shrugged.  
  
“Obvious how? You’re just as obnoxious as any music guy in my class—in a human setting.”  
  
“Hey!”  
  
A few sips later Mino asked, “So . . . where were you for the last two years? Did you come back to the Realm?”  
  
“Yes,” Seungyoon nodded. “I was asked by Lord Taeyang to go back and research on something—regarding complex dark spells used by the twisted deities. Kyung-hyung was with me all the time, spending so much of our days buried in ancient books and scrolls.”  
  
“Did you find . . . anything useful? Or,” Mino paused, “is it the reason why you seem to know about the beast earlier?”  
  
Seungyoon nodded once more. “Yeah. It wasn’t easy studying all that though—learning reverse spells and high-tier healing spells while investigating the darker, forbidden lands and studying dead languages. I thought I was going to expire at some point . . .” he trailed off.  
  
Mino waited, understanding the expression in Seungyoon’s face. At the same time, he was awed; he’d always known Seungyoon was a genius in his own way (acing classes left and right, learning lessons quickly), but as a god . . . Mino knew Seungyoon’s intellect could almost be comparable to that of a higher god’s.  
  
“I almost gave up, it was so exhausting . . .” he heard Seungyoon mumble, his eyes still staring at something distant. “And I wanted to go home here and just talk about . . . anything.”  
  
Mino’s heart clenched at the sight—Seungyoon, after all, for all his acumen in anything and everything, was still a youth. A teenager, substantially.  
  
He stood up then sat beside him, wrapping an arm around the blond boy. And just like the old times, Seungyoon set his cup on the table and lay down on the couch, his head on Mino’s lap.  
  
“You managed to finish it in the end, Yoon,” Mino murmured, his fingers running in Seungyoon’s hair. “It looks like you mastered it, even.”  
  
“Hardly,” he chuckled. “Compared to Kyung-hyung or even Jiho-hyung, I still have a long way to go.”  
  
Mino snorted. “You belittle yourself way too much.”  
  
Seungyoon was about to say something when a flash of bright light illuminated the living room, a whoosh of warm wind making the curtains flutter.  
  
“Sorry to interrupt your sweet date, kids,” Seunghoon announced, sitting on the big chair with the sleeping puppy on his lap, “but I have a message.”  
  
Seungyoon, too tired to even rise up despite his embarrassment, asked, “What is it, Seunghoon-hyung?”  
  
Mino blinked. “You know Seunghoon-hyung?”  
  
“I befriended him two years ago in the library while he was there studying,” Seunghoon shared, rolling his eyes. “Anyway, the message is this: there will be a gathering in the next few months, and all gods are obliged to come. I have no idea why the higher gods wanted to but we’re all mandatorily attending it.”  
  
“It might be because of what we’re studying right now,” Seungyoon muttered to himself. “Could this be the time that the higher gods will announce something . . .?”  
  
“Announce what, Yoonie?” Seunghoon asked, tilting his head in confusion.  
  
Seungyoon went quiet, his face unreadable. This made Seunghoon and Mino worry; if there was anything that could stress them out, it was a Seungyoon starting to overthink and be clam about it.  
  
“Yoon, Seungyoonie,” Seunghoon crooned, quickly rushing to Seungyoon’s side and smoothing his hair. “Please speak—hyung is listening.”  
  
Seungyoon did not reply, his eyes now staring at something distant.  
  
“Seungyoon,” Seunghoon held the younger god’s cheeks firmly. “Please.”  
  
At once, Seungyoon seemed to shake away from his thoughts, and stared right at Seunghoon’s eyes. “Hyung, do you think the Underworld will step in?”  
  
“I think so,” Seunghoon replied after a moment. “After all, there have been accusations that the gods there are letting those beasts free—although I doubt that.”  
  
“They’re not evil gods,” Mino muttered.  
  
“I know that, too,” Seungyoon said. “But I wish any Underworld god will attend—I hardly see one in the gatherings.”  
  
“They usually keep to themselves, after all,” Mino shrugged. “Wait—you think that infamous god will heed out the message to come?”  
  
“Which infamous god?” Seunghoon asked. “There are quite a number of infamous gods in the Underworld.”  
  
“‘The beautiful god living in the cursed underworld,’” Mino said. “Well, I don’t know his or her name, but you think . . .?”  
  
“I guess so,” Seunghoon told him. “Rumor has it he or she’s the most powerful god there.”  
  
“He’ll be there,” Seungyoon said after a while. “He probably has the answers we’ve been trying to seek.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm honestly surprised you don't know what Yoon really is LOL.  
> I already revealed what he was in the first story in this series:[refer to this one please ^^](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16482668/chapters/38651009)  
>   
> by the way, the scene now cuts to act 00; just go here [first](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16482668/chapters/38687150) then this [one](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16482668/chapters/39378265). thanks!  
>   
> also, i'm sorry, i did a quick edit as a realized i did a major mistake with the timeline. i'm really sorry ;;;;


	4. act 03 - home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As my own form of a Christmas gift, here you go~  
>   
> Merry Christmas, everyone! *^^*

_-months later-_

What Mino was exactly doing in a small cottage in Haeundae, he had no idea.  
  
Or rather, he had no idea or intention to stay on a cottage by the beach in Haeundae in Busan, _of all places_ , a few weeks before spring, just to finish all of his school works.  
  
_Concentration_ , he’d convinced himself. He needed _space_. That, and he was just near the sea, where he could check if there were any mysterious or suspicious activities regarding the miasma. He was a god of the sea, right?  
  
Multi-tasking is needed at times like this, right? Especially in this pressing situation . . .  
  
He sighed, making a face on the latest painting on his canvas. Supposedly, he must paint something abstract, depicting positive thoughts, but all he painted (for the past few hours and canvases) was just flowers and gardens blooming in the peak of spring.  
  
With a youth twirling around holding a harp and singing.  
  
He groaned, wanting to kick himself. He couldn’t bring himself to rip the canvas and throw it somewhere ( _waste of precious paints_ , he whined)—but wouldn’t it be weird if he suddenly hangs it up in the apartment?  
  
In the apartment, with Seung—  
  
“Concentrate, Mino, concentrate,” Mino muttered to himself, hitting his temple with his fist. “Don’t you dare fail your last semester, for the love of _god_.”

  


Soft, chilly taps on his arm woke him up, and Mino cracked one eye open to see who it was. To his shock—and amazement—it was Jinwoo, sitting on the floor in front of him. It was then Mino realized he’d fallen asleep in the middle of painting, or he just passed out in exhaustion.  
  
“Jinwoo-ssi,” Mino muttered sleepily, rubbing his eyes. “What are you doing here?”  
  
“Visiting you,” Jinwoo replied, his soft voice gentle and calm. “Seunghoon somewhat gave me a few tips on where to find you just in case I can’t find you around Seoul.”  
  
“I’m sorry you saw me like this,” Mino yawned, rising up from the floor and sitting across the winter god. “Is there any problem?”  
  
“Nothing,” Jinwoo shook his head. “I just wanted to know if there’s something going on regarding the miasma on the seas.”  
  
“So far, there are no incidences yet,” Mino told him, fully awake now. “I’ve sent a full deploy team to research on that, and thankfully the sea deities were very willing to help.”  
  
“Ah, thank goodness,” Jinwoo sighed. “That’s good.”  
  
“How about in the Underworld? Or on the land of the mortal realm?”  
  
“So far, after that attack against you and Seungyoon, the attacks were getting more minimal. The battle gods, with the help of Lord Taeyang, are minimizing the spread, and Seungyoon’s still studying some more. As for the Underworld, the cases of having ‘soulless’ souls are getting less frequent now.”  
  
“Looks like they’re getting more aware, whoever the culprit is.”  
  
“Probably, considering that even the Underworld is taking measures,” Jinwoo smirked slightly.  
  
Mino rose up. “Want something warm, Jinwoo-ssi? I’m sorry—ugh, I’m so messy and confused, I even forgot to offer you even some tea.”  
  
“I’ll help on the tea,” Jinwoo reassured him, standing up as well. “And please, call me Jinwoo. Or Jinwoo-hyung.”  
  
“Mino, then, please,” Mino smiled, and led him to the kitchen.  
  
Thankfully, there were still teabags on the cupboard plus some soft bread, so Mino just boiled up a kettle of water while Jinwoo prepared the mugs.  
  
“By the way, hyung, how’s everyone back there?” Mino asked casually.  
  
“Oh, Seunghoon’s complaining constantly over the snow and the chilly weather in general,” Jinwoo rolled his eyes, and Mino laughed. As expected of the snow-allergic summer god.  
  
“Please get used to that, hyung—it’s better than having a ‘dysfunctional’ fire god buried in the snow.”  
  
“I found my way to tune him out—distract him with the cats and that’s it. And I forgot—Seungyoon’s always going back and forth from my bungalow to your apartment unit, studying most of the time.”  
  
Mino felt a slight pain in his chest, feeling guilty for suddenly bolting out of the apartment and leaving Seungyoon alone. He wished he could explain why he just did it out of the blue, but he really couldn’t put it into words—  
  
“Actually, Seungyoon asked me to ask you why you suddenly left the apartment without a note,” Jinwoo dropped, his curious gaze on Mino’s back. “He was pretty worried sick, you know.”  
  
_Crap._  
  
“I . . . uh . . .” Mino started, scrambling for words/excuses. He pretty much sucked at lying, and really, what could he say when he couldn’t even understand himself lately?  
  
“Well, you don’t have to tell me why,” Jinwoo said, his voice reassuring. “I’ll just tell Seungyoon you’re doing okay and you’re just finishing up a lot of . . . paintings.”  
  
At that, Mino turned his face to look at Jinwoo’s expression. He saw the playful twinkle in the Underworld god’s eyes, and Mino immediately realized he’d seen _all_ the paintings.  
  
“Please don’t tell him what I’ve been painting,” Mino pleaded. “Please? I swear it’s not my project at all—”  
  
_Shut **up** , Mino!!!!_  
  
Jinwoo chuckled. “Of course I won’t. And . . . I don’t mean to be nosy or anything, but it seems to me that Seungyoon’s partly the _reason_ why you exiled yourself to Busan.”  
  
“Well . . . yeah,” Mino admitted, turning off the stove and pouring hot water to his and Jinwoo’s mugs. “I . . . don’t know why, hyung. I just felt like being alone for a while.”  
  
Jinwoo just smiled at him knowingly. “Mino, really, you can be very obvious yet you choose to be dense.”  
  
“…What do you mean?”  
  
“Nothing,” Jinwoo patted his hand gently. “Have the tea, and I’ll give you more info about the miasma.”  
  
“And please, Mino, for your peace of mind and Seungyoon’s,” Jinwoo continued, his voice firm yet still gentle, “go _home_.”

  


It was already late night or early morning by the time Mino teleported his way back to the apartment, his bag on one hand. He left the paintings on the cottage for them to dry (plus it was just so embarrassing just in case Seungyoon saw them) and will just get them once school starts.  
  
He opened the door quietly, and noted that it was pretty dim inside. Seungyoon might be inside his room, asleep or maybe even studying.  
  
Except that he wasn’t.  
  
He was fast asleep on the couch, wrapped in a thick blanket. He seemed so tired even in his slumber; Mino’s guilt towards his sudden jet-off was creeping up on his chest and squeezing his heart. He hated seeing Seungyoon tiring himself, and the fact that he made him worry made it worse.  
  
He tiptoed his way towards his room to drop his bag—and realized a second later that Seungyoon was sleeping in the living room, not on his room.  
  
_Oh crap. Was he waiting for me?_  
  
In between bubbling happiness and worsening guilt, he tiptoed back to Seungyoon, and nudged him awake, kneeling on the floor.  
  
“Yoon, Seungyoonie,” Mino murmured, shaking Yoon’s shoulder slightly. “Get up—go sleep on the bed.”  
  
Seungyoon’s face scrunched up in slight annoyance, his lips pouting. Mino was half-tempted to pinch his lips to really wake him up.  
  
“Mmm, Mino?” Seungyoon sleepily mumbled, his eyes still closed. “Are you home?”  
  
_Home?_  
  
“Yeah,” Mino replied quietly, smoothing the spring god’s messy locks. “I’m sorry I left.”  
  
Seungyoon blinked his eyes open, still drowsy, but were bright as he stared at him. “Where did you go?”  
  
“Haeundae . . .”  
  
“You didn’t even tell me . . .” Seungyoon whined childishly, making Mino chuckle.  
  
“Sorry . . .”  
  
Suddenly, Seungyoon untangled himself from the blankets, twisted his body towards Mino, and let his arms fall and wrap themselves loosely on Mino’s neck. He buried his head on Mino’s shoulder, his fluffy hair tickling Mino’s jaw.  
  
Mino froze, his heart thudding loudly on his chest.  
  
“Don’t leave like that again,” Seungyoon mumbled on his neck, his breath warm against his skin. “You worry me too much.”  
  
Warmth and affection bubbled through his chest and spread throughout his body, joy and peace slightly warring against the confusion clouding his head. He didn’t care though.  
  
_Thank goodness Jinwoo told him to go home._  
  
Mino wrapped his arms around Seungyoon. “I won’t do that again. Promise.”  
  
_I was pretty unproductive without you anyway._  
  
“And Seungyoon, please sleep on your bed.”  
  
Seungyoon didn’t budge from his position; he stubbornly stayed there. If anything, he just burrowed closer to Mino.  
  
“Don’t wanna,” Seungyoon grumbled.  
  
“All right, fine, scoot over the couch,” Mino sighed, untangling himself from Seungyoon’s arms. Seungyoon, although half-asleep, did as what he was told, and Mino lay down on the couch and cocooned himself with the blanket. Seungyoon wrapped an arm around Mino’s stomach and buried his head on Mino’s chest.  
  
He prayed the spring god didn’t hear how loud his heart beat in his chest, or how his soul sang in his sweet, sweet presence.  
  
It was definitely weird, definitely crazy at that, but Mino was content. The strange loneliness he’d felt on those days—and weeks—that Seungyoon wasn’t around was an illusion to him now, as he held him close. He’s still confused, but it didn’t matter whether he’d understand soon or not.  
  
So long as Seungyoon was here, it was more than enough. The epiphanies can wait.  
  
Touching his lips slightly to Seungyoon’s hair, he whispered, “Good night, Seungyoon.”


	5. act 04 - spring blooms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As my way of celebrating #.HappyYoonDay~ please enjoy the chapter!  
>   
> note: you can refer [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16482668/chapters/41034026) for full context of this chapter. ^^

“Seungyoon,” Mino whined, pulling at Seungyoon’s tunic. “I’m really sorry! But well, you know all those elders—”  
  
“Those elders or not, you should’ve at least sent me a note or whatever to let me know of your whereabouts,” Seungyoon muttered, not even sparing Mino a look.  
  
“But I was too busy!”  
  
“You can’t even spare a _damn_ second to scrawl one?!”  
  
In front of them, Seunghoon and Jinwoo only shook their heads, listening to the younger gods bicker. The meeting among them and the higher gods—Jiho, Jiyong, Taeyang—had just ended, and they were walking towards the portal back to the mortal realm. Seungyoon and Mino had been arguing for the past ten minutes—well, Mino was _asking_ for forgiveness and Seungyoon was _snapping_ with annoyance.  
  
“Seungyoon has a point, Mino,” Seunghoon mentioned. “At least give us a heads-up of what’s happening in the sea. Lord Jiho has been bugging me for weeks before he decided to dive headfirst to the ocean.”  
  
“And do try to understand him, Seungyoon,” Jinwoo added. “Mino really had been very busy. Give him a break, okay?”  
  
Mino suddenly remembered the day Jinwoo visited his bungalow and saw all his paintings, and prayed no one noticed the flush on his neck.  
  
“And what if he gets into trouble again, Jinwoo-hyung?” Seungyoon muttered, huffing. “It’s not that easy to deal with that fiend from hell knows where it came from—”  
  
“I can handle it myself,” Mino cut him off, and Seungyoon sharply turned to glare at him.  
  
“You can handle _it_?! The last time _you_ tried to handle it—”  
  
“Okay, okay, that’s enough kids,” Seunghoon placated them, separating the two. “Mino, go to your class, you’re gonna be late. Seungyoon, you stay with me and you need to catch up with the battle tricks. Jinwoo, you stay with us please—we need your help.”  
  
“Okay, then,” Jinwoo agreed.  
  
“Fine.” Mino.  
  
Seungyoon merely nodded, his face grim.  
  
Quietly, Mino made a portal for himself to teleport back to his apartment, and went in.

  


“Mr. Song Mino? Your painting was really impressive, as always. But I am curious—usually your paintings would go for the surreal abstraction. I am very surprised that you . . . painted something that is not your style.”  
  
“I just wanted to try something new,” Mino muttered, scratching his nape as his professor studied his painting. “Besides, I don’t think my usual style will work for the theme you gave us.”  
  
“That’s true. But this really is beautiful—fancy-like, even.”  
  
“Thank you.”  
  
The painting, needless to say, was the very same painting with a youth twirling around the flowers, singing with a harp—but he added a few touches to it.  
  
This time, the youth had a beautiful flower crown on his head, with large blue roses on the center.  
  
And—his hair was a powdery shade of blue.

  


“Ugh,” Mino groaned, thumping his head on the desk. He _hated_ home works. Especially essays about Renaissance paintings.  
  
But what he hated more was being bugged by Seungyoon’s irritation towards him.  
  
He understood it, really. He knew it was his fault—Seungyoon had a point, after all. He might have been that busy in the sea realm, but at least he must’ve spared a few minutes to write out a note. Plus, he’d promised Seungyoon not to leave like _that_ again.  
  
However, he was bothered on Seungyoon’s antics. Sure, Mino had been an annoying roommate to him before, but the spring god never acted this much—only nagged. Seungyoon was obviously beyond pissed; why else would he wrap him in vines with lobelia flowers in them?  
  
And speaking of lobelia flowers and all the flowers that bloomed in general—  
  
“What’s the deal with that flower crown anyway?!” Mino thought aloud, mussing his hair.  
  
Contrary to Jiho’s claim, Mino _actually_ understood the language of the flowers. He’d studied it once, when he got so fascinated over Seungyoon’s magic of making flowers appear out of nowhere. So when he noticed the flower crown Seungyoon had worn earlier, he was stunned and confused at the same time, wondering about what were Seungyoon’s thoughts that time.  
  
Not to mention that his hair was a soft shade of blue . . . Mino swore that he’d never seen anything so _breath-taking_ , like a rare bloom appearing in the spring—  
  
He found himself grabbing his tablet and opening his favorite drawing app, and started to sketch the blue spring god.

  


The sound of the door creaking open woke Mino up, and his eyelids fluttered open. He heard the familiar footsteps shuffle on the floor, and Mino’s heartbeat quickened.  
  
He knew how hard it was to face a very irritated Seungyoon (what if he suddenly turns him into a stinking rafflesia?!), but he also knew he just couldn’t end the night this way.  
  
He stretched his body and stood up, opening his door. With the help of the dim light, he saw Seungyoon carrying a few scrolls with one arm, a bag of food with the other.  
  
Silently, Mino padded towards Seungyoon and grabbed the food from him, setting it down on the kitchen island. It was then that he’d noticed the tired circles under Seungyoon’s eyes, and the exhaustion on his pale face. Seunghoon had probably trained him hard—or Seungyoon got too immersed in studying again.  
  
While Seungyoon sat down on the couch and glanced at the scrolls, Mino opened up the food packs and transferred the contents to the bowls. He set them down on a tray, placed two pairs of chopsticks, and brought the tray to the living room. He lowered the tray on the table and sat down on the rug-covered floor.  
  
Mino didn’t say anything. He only waited for Seungyoon to speak. Even if took up all night until sunrise, he will wait for the spring god to say something before anything else.  
  
“There will be some sort of a conference two days from now, according to Jiho-hyung,” Seungyoon said after a moment. “Jinwoo-hyung and Seunghoon-hyung will be there too, along with Lord Taeyang.”  
  
“What will it be about?” Mino asked.  
  
“About the miasma thing again,” Seungyoon replied. “It looks like Jiho-hyung found out more about it.”  
  
“I see.”  
  
The apartment was quiet again, except for the sounds of them eating. The tension and awkwardness grew every second, and it was starting to suffocate Mino.  
  
“Seungyoon—” Mino started.  
  
“I’ll just clean the mess up after I’m done, you can go to sleep,” Seungyoon cut him off. “You’ve had a long day at school, didn’t you?”  
  
Mino was about to protest, but Seungyoon had already started to gather the used bowls and piled them up neatly on the tray. Now truly annoyed, Mino grabbed Seungyoon by the arm and held him close to his body, his arms tight around the spring god’s waist.  
  
_By hook or by crook, I just can’t handle it anymore!_  
  
“Mino!” Seungyoon exclaimed, his head turning slightly to glare frostily at Mino. “Now what is this all about?!”  
  
“I am not going to let you go,” Mino muttered, “until you forgive me.”  
  
“What?! What kind of childishness is this again—”  
  
“ _Childish?!_ _You’re_ the one who kept on nagging me _then_ ignoring me for the rest of the day! And you call me childish now?”  
  
Seungyoon bristled. “You deserve that, you idiot.”  
  
“ _Me?_ Deserve _it_?! Now what have I done to you to the point that you wrapped me in those thick vines with fucking _lobelias_ , for crying out loud—!”  
  
“I was _fucking_ worried sick, you _moron_!” Seungyoon snapped, his voice angry. “What am I supposed to think, after you bolted out all of a sudden and never came back for months?! If it weren’t for Seunghoon-hyung telling me where you were, I literally would have no idea at all! Tell me, you ocean freak, what am I supposed to _think_?!”  
  
Mino was speechless, stunned at Seungyoon’s words. His brain just stopped functioning. And his lungs, for that matter.  
  
“What?” Mino choked after a moment.  
  
Seungyoon’s eyes narrowed, and Mino swore he could see those lobelias starting to bloom again on the flowerpots. “What do you mean by _what_?” Seungyoon asked coldly.  
  
“I mean—look—ugh, Seungyoon!” Mino complained. “For crying out loud, those lobelias are freaking me out! Will you please at least control yourself?!”  
  
Seungyoon took a deep, calming breath, and immediately the lobelias disappeared.  
  
“Okay, I’m just . . . _shocked_ , Seungyoon,” Mino explained, breathless. “It was my fault, fine, that I just sped off and dropped off the radar for months and never told you about it. And I really am sorry for that, I swear. But for you to be _this_ angry and stuff yet I see those _flowers_ on your head—”  
  
“Flowers on my head?”  
  
“Yeah, those flowers on your head! Don’t you dare deny those flowers I’d seen on your crown when Jiho-hyung and I met you—”  
  
Seungyoon suddenly stilled on his arms, then slumped against his body. His head was leaning on Mino’s shoulder, and his blue hair was tickling his chin.  
  
_Oh crap. Crap crap **crap**. Mino, will you please **stop** babbling????_  
  
Seungyoon was now silent, while Mino burned with embarrassment at what he’d said. Sure, he’d noticed that, but why did he just let his emotions control his mouth and blurted it out loud—  
  
“I was really worried, you know,” Seungyoon murmured softly. “After what happened with you last autumn, I couldn’t help but watch out for you more. Of course you could fight—you could give it a go with Seunghoon-hyung, honestly—but . . . what if you get hurt again? And what if I couldn’t be there in time?”  
  
Mino could only listen, astounded. He’d always known that Seungyoon was very caring towards his friends, but for him to know that Seungyoon really worried this much . . .  
  
“I’m really sorry, Seungyoon,” Mino mumbled, his lips a hair’s breadth from the blue mop of hair.  
  
“And . . . it was so empty around the apartment without you,” Seungyoon whispered, his voice softer. “It was so cold and dark. While I do like being with Jinwoo-hyung and his cats in his bungalow . . . it’s still different when you’re here, with me.”  
  
Mino’s heart stopped for a minute. Then it started beating again—thrice faster than its usual pace.  
  
He held Seungyoon tighter, now burying his lips on the spring god’s soft hair. He smelled like lilies of the valley and honeysuckle—with a hint of vanilla. He smelled so sweet, so light and warm . . . a scent he would immediately recognize as Seungyoon’s.  
  
“I missed you, too,” Mino mumbled against his hair. “Really.”  
  
He gently cupped Seungyoon’s face, turning it towards him. The spring god’s fox eyes were bright with unnamed emotions, sparkling with unshed tears. His cheeks were like pink roses starting to unfold in the first days of spring, with a creamy skin as pale and soft as the clouds. And those plush, red lips—  
  
His thumb traced those lips, and they really were soft as they seemed to be. Seungyoon’s eyes darkened with confusion, and something else—  
  
Unable to stop himself, Mino lowered his face to brush his lips against Seungyoon’s lightly, tasting sweet strawberries. He was really the spring god, a personification of all things sweet and fragrant and _tempting_ —  
  
He stopped, pulling away from Seungyoon. His breath was shallow and quick, and he was desperate to quell the flames starting to ignite inside him. Meanwhile, Seungyoon’s eyes were wide and bright, obviously shocked from Mino’s kiss.  
  
“Sorry,” Mino mumbled, looking away from him, his face flushed.  
  
He felt a hand tangle slowly and gently on his hair, and he turned. Seungyoon was merely smiling sweetly, his youthful face bright and his eyes glowing.  
  
Around him, blue roses and balloon flowers started to bloom, the fragrance permeating in the air. The scent of honeysuckle filled his nostrils—with a hint of mint.  
  
“Mino?” Seungyoon asked softly, his cheeks pink. “Will you . . . will you kiss me again?”  
  
And Mino did.


	6. act 04 - tangled

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup, it's a double update!!! *^^*

It was dark and cold, the dead silence of the night freezing his soul. There were no stars in the sky, and it was just so desolate and depressing, he could feel his tears starting to well on his eyes—  
  
Eyes that fluttered, flickered, and cracked open, only to see someone sleeping beside him, soft and warm.  
  
A messy blue mop of hair, loose, holey sweatshirt that probably belonged to him, sweatpants-covered legs tangled against his bare ones, an arm around his waist . . .  
  
His heart calmed down and felt light again.  
  
He closed his eyes, remembering that kiss he shared with Seungyoon. He was so sweet and soft and pliant . . . if he didn’t stop himself and reminded himself that both really needed some sleep, they might’ve gone too far.  
  
This was enough—to wake up beside him in the morning, the scent of spring on his nostrils.  
  
_More than enough, actually._  
  
His hand reached up to play with the blue locks, while burying his face on top of Seungyoon’s head. He could feel a smile threatening to rip his lips—and he didn’t care.  
  
He was just so happy.  
  
“Found my hair too soft for your liking?” Seungyoon mumbled sleepily against his chest.  
  
Mino chuckled. “Well, yeah. I’m glad it’s blue now. Looks good on you.”  
  
“Thanks.”  
  
Seungyoon pulled himself up so he could look at Mino’s eyes, his eyes still puffy from sleep, but bright nonetheless. He smiled. “Hello, Mino.”  
  
Mino kissed him good morning as a reply.

  


“Still haven’t decided on which classes you’ll take?” Mino asked, taking a sip of his coffee. “Or just worried you won’t be able to do it, considering your heavy schedule?”  
  
Seungyoon pouted, playing with his food. “I’d really like to go back to school, though. But maybe not now—I’ll just loiter around for a bit, stuff like that.”  
  
The autumn god raised an eyebrow. “Oh? You won’t go back to the Celestrium?”  
  
“Give me a break, Mino. The whole thing’s just so exhausting. Anyway, it’s not as if they can’t handle it without me.”  
  
A smirk ghosted on Mino’s lips. “Getting rebellious, aren’t we.”  
  
“Coming from someone who’s going to ditch his school today,” Seungyoon rolled his eyes, but he was smiling.  
  
Mino laughed, and put down his empty mug. “Any plans for today, spring god?”  
  
“What do you say about walking around here in Seoul, for a change? And maybe do some museum hopping or shopping?”  
  
“Sounds like a good plan to me.”

  


“The art these days is so different from the art before,” Mino commented, studying the paintings in a nearby museum. “Guess it also morphs and grows as time passes by.”  
  
“Didn’t you say something like some of the styles a hundred years back are still being used by some artists now?”  
  
“That’s true—but with a modern edge. You know, kinda like a revolution.”  
  
The two had been walking around the streets for hours, observing and talking about the mortals they would see rushing around. Now, they were inside a museum which also sold paintings, observing the pieces. Not that they were going to buy—Seungyoon could just ask Mino to paint something on a canvas, and the latter would happily do so.  
  
“Ever planned of opening an exhibit or something?” Seungyoon wondered.  
  
“Used to, when I wasn’t this busy. Then again, I’m not that confident of my styles yet—and anyway, that would be a total breach of my anonymity. It would’ve been a bit easier were I a human, but I’m a god. How am I ever gonna explain my not-aging face?”  
  
“You can go anonymous, never appear to your exhibits,” Seungyoon shrugged.  
  
“That’s just plain weird, Seungyoon.”  
  
“Just saying.”  
  
“…Hmm, maybe I can do that on the gods’ realm. That is if they wouldn’t mind.”  
  
“Can I help?”  
  
“Why not?”

  


Mino had never felt this . . . free, this light, whenever he was in the mortal realm—or even in the gods’ realm. Maybe because he wasn’t just so used to dealing with so many people, or maybe it was just because of Seungyoon.  
  
The nightmares of his past seemed like nothing to him now, when sad waves of loneliness, pain and grief always buried him deep. He’d had his friends, even when he was not yet a god, but it was just so different with Seungyoon around.  
  
He couldn’t help wondering what would’ve happened if he had never met Seungyoon at all that day. Would he be this happy? Would he even find this kind of peace he’d always desperately sought before?  
  
“Here,” Seungyoon offered, handing him an iced Americano. “What cake would you like? My treat.”  
  
Mino smiled. “The strawberry one.”  
  
“Okay.” Turning to the counter Seungyoon said, “One slice of strawberry cake . . . and, hmm . . . that mango cake looks good, too . . . yeah, that mango graham cake. A slice of each, please.”  
  
Mino sneakily sipped into Seungyoon’s latte, smiling teasingly. The coffee was really sweet for his taste—just like Seungyoon.  
  
The spring god pouted. “You have your own coffee,” he complained.  
  
“Well, you can always sip mine.”  
  
“It’s too bitter!”  
  
Mino laughed.

  


“Jiho-hyung will really ask me a lot tomorrow,” Seungyoon muttered, randomly picking at the flower petals. “I’ve never been like this before.”  
  
“What happened to your rebellious side now, Seungyoon?” Mino teased.  
  
“He’s still here. But I just don’t know how to answer hyung’s rapid-fire questions,” he pouted.  
  
“Don’t worry, he’ll understand.”  
  
They were now on their apartment building’s rooftop, gazing at the night sky as they sat on the mossy concrete. The stars were a bit less, compared to last night, but at least there still were.  
  
They’d spent the rest of the day randomly shopping for clothes and paints, stopping by some shops to take a look. Needless to say, Mino and Seungyoon really felt their youth, a youth they’d never felt before, even as gods.  
  
“I’m . . . really happy today,” Mino blurted out softly. “Well, ditching a school day isn’t really something to celebrate, but at least I was able to spend a day with you. When was the last time we’d been like this?”  
  
“Quite a very long time, I think,” Seungyoon replied, his eyes on the stars. “Maybe when . . . hmm . . . when I met you that day.”  
  
That _day_. That day when Mino almost considered giving up his fate as a demigod, when he almost stepped towards the unspeakable realm and be miserable . . .  
  
“You’re right, probably,” Mino agreed quietly. “You were pretty annoying back then.”  
  
Seungyoon snickered. “You were always brooding back then.”  
  
“And you always nagged.”  
  
Seungyoon smacked Mino’s arm.  
  
The comfortable silence passed by between them, the spring air blowing softly against them.  
  
“Thank you,” Mino breathed. “For passing by, back then. I don’t know who I would be now, if you didn’t.”  
  
Seungyoon sweetly smiled at him. “You would still have found yourself, maybe. But I should be thankful to you, too. You gave me . . . more colors to look at.”  
  
Mino then pulled Seungyoon to him, his arms around his waist. As if by instinct, Seungyoon rested his head against Mino’s chest, and closed his eyes.  
  
“Allow me to stay with you like this,” Mino whispered into his hair. “I’d follow you anywhere, everywhere, as long as you’d like me to.”  
  
“Mino,” Seungyoon murmured, placing Mino’s hand on his chest. “Do you think I would disagree to that?”  
  
The autumn god smiled, feeling Seungyoon’s heartbeat against his palm. “Looks like I’ll be with you everywhere, then.”  
  
“So you won’t leave me?” Seungyoon’s voice was small and raw, and Mino could feel his chest tighten.  
  
“I’ll leave a note if I’ll leave, and come back to you as soon as I can,” Mino promised. “You can bury me in lobelias and rafflesia if ever I didn’t.”  
  
“That’s a deal, Mino.”  
  
Mino lowered his face and met Seungyoon’s lips with his. “Sealed with a kiss,” he breathed against his mouth.


	7. act 00 - first meeting

Mino was doomed. At least it’s what he thought.

He was a demigod, sure. He had the powers to influence the seas and control the temptation to start a massive war amongst mortals, thanks to his mentors.

But he wasn’t sure on what he would want to be, on what kind of god he’d wish to be.

Would he want to be a god like his mentor, Seunghyun? Or someone like his older brother figure, Jiho?

He was so confused. He knew himself, and at the same time, he didn’t.

*

The examinations for the demigods were about to start soon, wherein their abilities will be assessed by the higher gods. Once they pass, they could have a chance to be ranked higher—or maybe even chosen to enter Celestrium. But if they fail, they will be asked to stay in the mortal world for good.

Mino wasn’t that confident with himself, despite Seunghyun’s assurances. Dark thoughts of failing and ending up in the mortal world was filling his mind, making him unable to think.

Not to mention, his past…and his background…Mino cradled his head in his hands, groaning mentally.

_‘You are not that, Mino,’_ he tried to convince himself. _‘You are not your past.’_

*

The Great Hall was now filled with enthusiastic demigods, who were filled with the desire to be part of the deities in Celestrium. They were a mix—some were from the Earth, some were from the middle realm, and there were even others who came from the Underworld.

Mino was internally shaking as he took a look around, recognizing a few. The famed battle genius, Seunghoon was there, and even that rumored spring deity…

“He’s here,” he heard someone hiss from behind.

“Who?” another muttered.

“That demigod. Born from a twisted deity.”

Mino froze, his chest tightening.

“Ah,” he heard a snicker. “How bold of him to even join here, when he’s not even one of us…”

“I heard he’s mentored by Lord Seunghyun, just how did he manage to do that?”

“I bet he casted a hypnotizing spell.”

“Or his twisted parent practically threatened him.”

Mino felt tears of pain and anger sting his eyes, his fists clenching. It was Lord Seunghyun who approached him, when his mortal mother died and his father abandoned him…

Silently, Mino fled from the Celestrium and ran towards the forest.

*

_‘Am I really a twisted demigod, like my father?’_ Mino mused to himself, twisting a leaf between his fingers.

He opened his palm, and a dark wisp danced around his fingertips. He blew on it, and it flew towards the nearest tree branch. Within a few minutes, it deteriorated.

Mino snorted to himself. He really had the blood of a twisted deity, the power to destroy…

“Why are you here?” He heard someone speak in front of him. “Aren’t you one of the demigods participating in the examinations?”

Looking up, it was the rumored spring deity standing in front of him, a curious look on his face.

“Who are you?” Mino asked. “And what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be there, in the Celestrium?”

The spring deity smiled. “I’m Seungyoon, and I’m here to have some fresh air because it’s so stuffy inside. Now, please answer my question—why are you here?”

Mino looked away. “I-I just don’t want to participate anymore.”

“Why?”

“Don’t you know who I am, Seungyoon?”

“I don’t, actually.”

The innocence and truth in his voice made Mino turn his head at him in surprise, his eyes wide.

“You don’t?” Mino echoed.

Seungyoon shook his head. “I really don’t.”

Mino took a deep breath, wondering if he should introduce himself or not. After a moment, he muttered, “I’m Mino. A demigod born from a…a twisted deity.”

“And?”

Mino’s eyebrows scrunched in confusion. “What do you mean, ‘and?’”

“I mean,” Seungyoon said, squatting down in front of him, “you sound like you don’t want to actually say that you are a child of a twisted deity.”

Mino was seriously perplexed at Seungyoon’s nonchalant reaction. “You…I…you don’t understand what it means to be…to have the blood of a twisted deity?”

“Well, I heard stuff about it,” Seungyoon shrugged. “I read the history…heard nasty stuff…but really, I don’t mind much about it.”

Mino was stunned. Who was this Seungyoon guy, why was he so, so…

“Yes, sure, twisted deities have done so much damage before—even incited a huge war that almost ended everything,” Seungyoon explained, seeing Mino’s blank expression. “But I don’t see why it should hinder you from joining the examinations.”

Mino was still blank.

“Regardless if you’re born as a child of a twisted deity or not, it doesn’t define who you are and what you can do,” Seungyoon told him, smiling genuinely. “So what if you have that blood running in your veins? It doesn’t make you a bad person, does it?”

Mino’s heart clenched with so many emotions filling him, yet he felt so light. It was as if Seungyoon’s words were a balm to his anxious soul, a strong assurance that everything will be all right…

“Who are you?” Mino blurted out absentmindedly. “Is this an ability of yours? Or are you saying those words for the hell of it?”

Seungyoon laughed—it was melodious and sweet, like musical notes dancing in the air. “I am Seungyoon, this isn’t an ability of mine, and I am not saying them just because,” he told him, laughing. “I only see the truth.”

Mino could only stare, while at the same time, he was resisting the urge to hug Seungyoon. He found a demigod who never judged him, someone who can be his friend, maybe…

Seungyoon held out his hand to him, beaming. “Shall we go back now, Mino? I think the examinations are about to start.”

Mino took his hand, smiling back, and stood up. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

*

Needless to say, Seungyoon and Mino passed the examinations, and they became close ever since.

Even until they were gods, Mino remained very close with Seungyoon, almost joined at the hip.

He didn’t mind. He liked being with him anyway.

**

“You’ll stay in the mortal realm?” Seungyoon asked, playing on the hem of Mino’s tunic.

“Duty calls,” Mino sighed. “You know, part of my job as a god.”

Seungyoon pouted. “So I won’t see you around much, then.”

Mino chuckled, mussing the spring god’s brown hair. A few flower buds were stuck on top of his head, a result of Mino teasing him about Seungyoon’s ability to make flowers appear out of nowhere.

“I’ll drop by here every now and then,” Mino reassured him. “It’s not as if I’ll stay there for good, you know.”

“Besides,” he chuckled, remembering something, “a friend suggested that I study art, because I was getting so restless.”

“You can study here,” Seungyoon griped. “Isn’t Lord Seunghyun into it?”

“It’s different if I learn it in a university,” Mino said.

Seungyoon pursed his lips, staring into something faraway.

“You can come with me, if you want,” Mino suggested, trying to ease the spring god.

“I can’t,” Seungyoon muttered, still not looking at him. “Jiho-hyung and Lord Taeyang are dumping me a lot of stuff to study on.”

“That’s too bad,” Mino murmured. _‘I wanted you to be with me,’_ he wanted to add.

Seungyoon then smiled at him, but Mino could see the slight tightness in his eyes. “Oh well. I wish you well and be safe. And visit here.”

“Of course.”

*

Mino picked an apartment close to Yonsei, and closer to a coffee shop. He liked the vibe inside Yonsei, and he grew to love coffee. Iced Americano, to be exact.

He had a bit of qualms though, as the landlady told him he’ll be sharing the room with someone. How would he hide his qualities and abilities as a god from the human roommate?

_‘Oh well,’_ Mino sighed to himself. _‘It would be a good practice to begin with.’_

Later in the afternoon, Mino carried his belongings, which were stuffed inside several boxes. He’d have to buy clothes later, and shoes, and paints he hadn’t bought yet…

_‘Aish,’_ he complained, wanting to kick himself. Why did he prioritize buying art stuff before even buying the necessities?

Balancing the boxes in one arm, he tentatively knocked on the door, checking if there was someone inside. 

“Who is it?” He heard someone call from the inside.

“It’s—uh,” Mino stuttered. “It’s your new roommate. Can I get in, please?”

He heard footsteps padding towards the door, and the door opened. A lean, gangly, brown haired youth greeted him with a welcoming smile, seeing him.

Something hit Mino’s gut feel, like he’d known this human somewhere…

“Oh hey,” the human greeted. “So you’re the roommate, huh.”

“Ah, hi,” Mino choked, getting in. “You won’t mind me around, right?”

“Of course I won’t mind,” his roommate assured him. “By the way, what are inside those boxes? Let me help you out.”

“Thanks,” Mino breathed in gratitude. “Um…art materials, mostly.”

His roommate’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Oh, you’re an artist? Wow.”

“Not really,” Mino muttered, embarrassed. “I’m an art student in Yonsei.”

“Cool,” his roommate commented in awe, and set down the boxes. “Wait, let me ask—what’s your name, by the way?”

“Mino,” he answered. “Song Mino.” He’d picked his faux surname from a part-time worker in the coffee shop.

The other lad smiled and held out his hand. And Mino wasn’t sure, but he thought he saw something flash in the human’s dark eyes. “I’m Kang Seungyoon, by the way,” he introduced himself. “It’s nice meeting you.”

Mino blinked, hearing his name. _Seungyoon?_ He shared the same name as the spring god…

Mino took his hand anyway. “Yeah, thanks, me too. Anyway, want to have dinner with me? I saw a nice diner close by.”

Kang Seungyoon’s smile literally reminded him of how Seungyoon would beam at him whenever he suggested to go somewhere—an eager, bright, almost puppy-like smile.

“Sure.”

*

Kang Seungyoon, he learned later on, also studied in Yonsei as a first year music major student. He didn’t complain much about Mino’s mess or his playlist (except for some moments he would complain on his ‘crazy’ song choices), and he liked watching Mino paint.

Most of all, he drove Mino insane.

Why did he remind him of Seungyoon the spring god so much? Sure, they kind of looked alike, but there was _no way_ on earth Seungyoon himself would go to the mortal realm. He was always so busy studying, mastering complex spells under Jiho’s and Lord Taeyang’s tutelage…

Mino tugged on the old parchment pressed on his book. It was a note from Seungyoon (the god), when he took his leave to the mortal realm.

It wrote: ‘Good luck! Send me a few mementos when you feel like it.’

“I miss you,” Mino whispered.

***

Mino couldn’t sleep. The nightmare brought by that fiend who attacked him still gave chills to his body. The pain and terror of almost dying on that moment, the fear of losing himself in the process and almost giving in to his dark side…

He shuddered and shook that thought away. He never told Seungyoon that part, when his twisted power almost took over him as that monster bit him. It was painful, true, but at the same time, the flow of _that_ power had started to run in his veins again. Were it not for Seungyoon’s intervention, he might’ve done something he would definitely regret. 

But something was bothering him, as if he overlooked a very obvious fact that he should’ve known by now…

The dawning realization about Seungyoon and Kang Seungyoon suddenly hit him like a speeding truck—or a roaring avalanche.

He bolted out of his bed and sped towards Seungyoon’s room, not even bothering to knock.

“Seungyoon!” Mino exclaimed, eyes wide, his epiphany striking him fast like lightning.

Seungyoon jumped in surprise, jolting him out from his casting. He was healing the sick puppy in his room when Mino suddenly barged in.

“Sheesh, Mino,” Seungyoon muttered, clutching his chest. “You’ll wake up our neighbors.”

“Seungyoon…you…” Mino gasped, still staring at the spring god with wide eyes.

“I what?”

“You…went…way back…” Mino blabbered, incoherent. How come he didn’t realize it sooner?!

“What?” Seungyoon turned to him now fully, his head tilted in confusion. “Mino, I really don’t follow you. What’s going on? Are you okay?”

Mino just stood still, agape. Alarmed, Seungyoon stood up and approached him, grasping his arms.

“Mino,” Seungyoon said, his eyes on the autumn god’s. “Are you with me? Is something hurting you?”

“Seungyoon,” Mino finally breathed. “I thought…I thought you wouldn’t go here to the mortal realm.”

Seungyoon waited, still confused.

“But you…you went here. And pretended as a human Kang Seungyoon, my roommate and—” Mino stopped. “Why?”

Seungyoon blinked, and a bright yet mysterious smile flashed on his face. “Mino,” he murmured, ruffling the autumn god’s hair, “why did you think I went here _before_ you could even step in?”

****

“You never answered my question before,” Mino murmured on Seungyoon’s hair, holding him closer. They were lying down on Mino’s bed, supposed to sleep for tomorrow’s conference with Jiho, but a sudden thought kept Mino half-awake.

“What question?” Seungyoon mumbled sleepily.

“Why did you go here, in the mortal realm and masked yourself as a human?”

“Ah,” he could hear a smile in the spring god’s voice. “That.”

Seungyoon adjusted himself so he could look at Mino’s face. Under the faint moonlight, the spring god looked so young and beautiful, and Mino could only stare at him.

“When you told me before that you would have to stay here to fulfill your duty,” Seungyoon started, “I really felt lonely all of a sudden. Maybe I just got so used to your presence, that the thought of you being away for a long while saddened me. Of course I had to be supportive…but really, I would have wanted to come with you, were it not for my duties on Celestrium.”

Mino’s arm held him tighter, and Seungyoon pulled himself up so he could fully sprawl on top of Mino. Propping himself up on his elbows Seungyoon continued, “I considered going here myself, and play as a human. When I learned that my schedule wouldn’t be as tight as I’d thought, I quickly seized the opportunity. With the help of a charade spell, I pretended to be a human, to be the Kang Seungyoon you knew.”

Mino snorted to himself, shaking his head. “I can’t believe this. I was just so stupid—how could have I not realized it was you all along? The mannerisms, the way you spoke…it all screamed _you_ , but I was too foolish to notice it.”

“Well,” Seungyoon grinned mischievously, “I kind of exploited the fact that you miss the obvious stuff sometimes.”

Mino flicked his forehead, making a face—yet failing.

“So the apartment I picked, and Yonsei…” Mino said. “Were it all coincidences or did you orchestrate them?”

“Not exactly. I didn’t even know you’d pick Yonsei—I was thinking you’d choose Kyunghee—or even the apartment. I only went here so I could at least see you every now and then, but I guess the universe and fate was with me.”

“You sneaky little devil,” Mino shook his head. “Did you really miss me too much to the point you even went here?”

Seungyoon’s expression softened, then he lay his cheek on Mino’s chest. “I only realized that—my sudden decision to go here and masquerade as a human—when I went back to the Celestrium and stayed there for two years,” he whispered. “I’d been convincing myself that I was just used to having you around, that I was just watching out for you…but then again, I could only convince myself so much. But when I really felt…lonely and empty, after so many days of just studying and mastering spells…” he closed his eyes, sinking deeper into his chest. “All I thought of was, I wanted to go home. To go back…to go back home to you.”

Mino rubbed his back comfortingly, his heart clenching with too much affection and ancient sadness. Seungyoon, for all the warmth and brightness he possessed…

“I’ll always stay with you,” he breathed, kissing the spring god’s hair. “For as long as you want me to.”

Gingerly, Seungyoon inched his face towards Mino and kissed him softly, and Mino responded immediately. Sweet and soft, pure yet tempting…

“I know,” Seungyoon chuckled softly against Mino’s lips. “I wouldn’t want anyone else, anyway.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This, I guess, is my way of cheering up my fellow mermaids in light of YG's latest news. And to clarify plot holes (?) LOL.  
>   
> Just a friendly heads-up to anyone and everyone: YG culture is Delayed Culture. And most of the time, it's the artist who asks for the delay, not the management. ^^ Be patient, and trust Winner. ^^


	8. flashbacks - seungyoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> mino splashed colors to his world as if it was his own canvas, creating a masterpiece out of them.  
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Similar to what I did with Jinwoo's, there will be chapters that will be on another god's perspective. It doesn't have to be on the other half of the ship's POV, but on any other deity related to the god who's the main actor here.  
>   
> And I did mention I wrote a chapter that isn't . . . really my style, right? Hehe. I hope you like this. ><  
> 

_He was the child of spring._

Music ran in his blood, the magic of youthfulness in his fingertips. He sang the sweetest of songs no mortal or deity could resist, bloomed flowers with the sweetest of scents. He had the blithe soul of a child, yet the wisdom of a sage.

However, despite these qualities, he lacked one quality.

He could not see the colors of the world he is in.

No, he was not blind; it was as if the world was a monochrome—everything was just pale, dead hues for him.

It was a sharp contrast, considering that he was supposed to be the personification of all things bright. Yet his eyes were hooded with a deep sadness, and his heart was long since numb.

-

Initially, Seungyoon had no plans to even join the examinations in the Celestrium. He just wanted to stay in the small house he and his older brother, Jiho, shared and linger with his lyre. However, he was also aware of the pressure brought by the other deities, merely because they expected him to join Jiho’s footsteps. Or to be Lord Taeyang’s protégé, or maybe even Lady Sandara’s.

He wanted none of them. He only wanted to be himself, where he can sing and play with nature. He knew that him being a god was a wish of others’, not of himself.

And he wanted to see the colors again.

He wanted to understand why the mortals dreaded sunrises and loved sunsets, why the gods loved his flowers and the gardens of Celestrium. He wanted to gaze at the summer skies and stroll under the maple trees in the fall as he danced with the falling orange leaves.

Sometimes he wished he had it easy.

Yet he hadn’t.

-

He knew very few demigods like him, but many recognized him. His face was enough—he looked so much like his brother, except that his eyes were a little softer. Too soon, he could hear whispers that he might easily ace the examinations, considering the intellect he possessed. He might even beat the battle genius, Seunghoon, if he felt like it . . .

Without knowing, scarlet geraniums suddenly bloomed from the shrubs, and Seungyoon immediately controlled himself. Flowers always betrayed his thoughts and emotions, just like how an emotional climate would betray Jiho’s. He couldn’t let himself slip, not even a bit.

But he could only handle too much eyes boring holes into him, and voices echoing their shallow wishes for him.

He rushed out, wanting to go home.

-

Mino fascinated him. A lot, if he were to be honest.

To be fair, they were almost similar. He, too, didn’t want to join the examinations, as he was ostracized because he was an offspring of a twisted deity. Seungyoon almost didn’t believe him, if he hadn’t seen the black wisps twirling around Mino’s fingers as he’d approached him.

Seungyoon didn’t know why or how he managed to say those words to Mino— _regardless if you’re born as a child of a twisted deity or not, it doesn’t define who you are and what you can do. So what if you have that blood running in your veins? It doesn’t make you a bad person, does it?_ —when he himself needed words, too. He himself needed encouragement to stand up and go back.

But it was Mino’s surprised and confused expression that, oddly, gave him just the right reason to at least try.

“Who are you?” Mino exclaimed. “Is this an ability of yours? Or are you saying those words for the hell of it?”

Seungyoon laughed—of bemusement, of happiness, he didn’t know. Mino looked like demigod who can wreck if he wanted, yet he was so much like an innocent child. Like a small boy locked in a body of a warrior.

“I am Seungyoon, this isn’t an ability of mine, and I am not saying them just because,” he said, laughing. “I only see the truth.”

Mino only stared at him in wonder, and if Seungyoon wasn’t mistaken, in gratitude. It was as if he gave Mino a good reason to try, to be himself, despite his origins.

Seungyoon held out his hand, smiling. “Shall we go back now, Mino? I think the examinations are about to start.”

Mino took his hand, smiling back, and stood up. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

And for the first time after so many years, a hundred dandelions sprung forth from Seungyoon’s footsteps.

-

“You look so happy, little brother,” Jiho observed as he poured light wine in Seungyoon’s goblet. “Found something interesting?”

“Well, nothing much, hyung,” Seungyoon replied, smiling. “Maybe because I passed the examinations?”

Jiho raised his eyebrows, and chuckled. “You lie, Seungyoonie. Aside from that, there is something else that makes you really happy. Look, there are so many dandelions by the windowsill.”

Seungyoon laughed. “Maybe?”

A smile was playing on his older brother’s lips as he watched Seungyoon, listening to the younger deity’s stories of his day and how he went through the examinations. However, one name caught his attention.

“You met Mino?” Jiho asked in surprise.

Seungyoon nodded. “Yeah. He was practically my examination partner, hyung.”

Jiho barked out a laugh. “How unexpected. It’s a miracle you left unscathed.”

Seungyoon pouted. “You are so mean, hyung. He may be clumsy and terrified of bugs, but he’s amazing when it comes to battle tricks. Then again, he’s Lord Seunghyun’s student, so that’s no surprise.”

Jiho snickered to himself, shaking his head. “Honestly, little brother, I never expected that you’d meet him at all. So you telling me something about that brat . . . just floors me,” he admitted.

“Hold up, hyung—you know him?” Seungyoon interrupted. “You speak as if you do.”

“Have you forgotten I was also a student of Lord Seunghyun?”

“Oh. Right.”

A few moments later Jiho asked him, “So are you friends now?”

Seungyoon did not hesitate. “Yes.”

-

Seungyoon and Mino were now both gods of the earth, a few years later. They could enter Celestrium or stay in the mortal realm for as long as they wanted. Aside from that, Seungyoon became the god of the spring and Mino of the autumn.

Despite their opposing seasons, they remained closer than ever, often meeting to hang out and just talk. Sometimes Mino would teach him some fighting tricks while Seungyoon would share healing charms to him.

There would be times that Seungyoon would dive and swim with him in the oceans, and Mino would climb trees and toss fruits for him. There would be days they would just lie down on the grass and talk underneath the starry sky, or exchange ideas in a random coffee shop within the mortal realm. Sometimes Mino would harmonize absentmindedly when Seungyoon hummed a tune, even suggesting a few notes.

He had his own friends, Mino had his, but he found it so easy to go along with the autumn god. He thought it might be because they almost shared the same interests, and appreciated each other’s strengths. Not to mention, they complemented each other so well, Seungyoon couldn’t even think of any other person to be with for a long time.

Further, as Mino traced acrylic on Seungyoon’s pale skin, drawing clouds and curlicues and shapes; as Mino splashed dyes on parchments and papyrus; as Mino described sunrises and sunsets and summer skies and autumn breeze—bit by bit, pigment by pigment, Seungyoon could see colors again, unfurling like tiny buds in the first days of spring. He could now fully realize why all gods of the earth longed for his power to make flowers bloom; he could now understand why mortals loved it most when there are a million stars twinkling in the sky.

-

But heavens help him, Mino’s smile was _beautiful_.

The way his eyes sparkled with childish delight as he watched Seungyoon heal wounded animals, the way his honey skin glowed in the summer sun, and how he laughed freely as they ran aimlessly in the meadows.

For the first time in centuries, Seungyoon wanted to be selfish. He wanted to paint sunrises in Mino’s studio, with the autumn god guiding his clumsy fingers to achieve the right hue. He wanted to spend his mornings greeting him awake, with blue roses and lilies of the valley on his hands. He wanted to be with him, for as long as he could.

Around him, pink camellias sprung forth from the grass, the scent of lilacs dancing in the air. As he lay down on the grass and thought of Mino, zinnias bloomed beside him.

He could feel tears coursing down his cheeks and the damp grass, but he didn’t care. He didn’t care if anyone would see him at his most vulnerable state, his heart aching anew. He didn’t care if he was practically surrounded with sorrowful flowers in the middle of spring.

He never understood the magnitude of pain, why he felt this crushing loneliness again but all he knew was—

He was missing Mino so much, it was almost a miracle he managed to survive a day after the autumn god left him.

If he was the kind of a god who bore grudges, he would have choked that god who suggested that to Mino—to study art in the mortal realm—with the most poisonous of thorns. Or summoned the deadliest of snakes to hunt down and annihilate that god.

He sat up on the grass and picked several flowers that were surrounding him with somber eyes, and weaved another flower crown. Another cheerless, desolate flower crown to adorn his head.

_‘Come back to me,’_ he thought over and over again, raindrops falling on him like harsh stabs as he wove. _‘Come back to me.’_

\--

“As per their requests, you’ll be studying with Lord Taeyang for a while,” Jiho informed him as they stayed in the library within the Hall. “Actually, they’d admitted it would’ve been better if it was Lady Sandara, but you know the constraints.”

Seungyoon hummed absently.

“The lessons include healing spells, some incantations, even medicines . . . Seungyoon?” Jiho asked, finally noticing the blankness in Seungyoon’s expression. It was if he was just physically there, mentally absent. “Seungyoon, are you still with me?”

Seungyoon didn’t hear him, too immersed in his own thoughts. Jiho almost shook his younger brother up from his stupor when he noticed the flowers budding on the nearest vases.

Marigolds.

Jiho sighed, finally understanding. It had almost been two months since Mino left for the mortal realm, and he never corresponded much. It had almost been two months ever since Seungyoon became . . . _lifeless_ , like a drooping flower about to fall.

It was as if witnessing Seungyoon fall back to his days when he did nothing but sit and stare blankly in the middle of the garden, when he only gazed at the gods in confusion when they told him his flowers were beautiful. . . yet had a shade of loneliness they couldn’t understand.

He stood up from his seat and clasped his younger brother’s arms gently, kneeling down in front of him. “Little brother,” he murmured. “Come back to me.”

A wave of calmness and reassurance filled Seungyoon’s chest, stirring him awake. Still, sadness and longing lingered in his eyes as he implored, “Hyung, when is Mino coming home?”

Jiho smoothed his hair comfortingly. “Seungyoonie, he’ll go back here as soon as he’s done. Have you forgotten why he’s there in the first place?”

“I miss him,” was all Seungyoon could mumble. The pain of missing him so much surfaced once more it threatened to choke him. “Can’t I see him?”

Jiho smiled in sympathy. “Of course you may. Anyway, your schedule isn’t that strict yet, so you may come and go in the mortal realm as you please.”

The dark clouds in Seungyoon’s heart suddenly dissipated, as if a bright ray of sunshine had pierced right through them. The marigolds were gone, replaced by yellow gerberas and pink roses as a happy smile appeared on Seungyoon’s face.

“For real, for real?” he asked animatedly. “I can see Mino if I wanted to?”

Jiho chuckled, feeling Seungyoon’s emotions rush through him. “Of course.”

A melodious laughter rang throughout the library, but Seungyoon didn’t care. He was too happy to do so.

Jiho smiled in relief, seeing the lightness in Seungyoon’s face. It had been so long since his brother laughed, or even smiled.

“Go see him now, Yoonie,” Jiho murmured. “And come back here when I call you,” he added.

“Okay,” Seungyoon jumped out from his chair excitedly, and in a rush, kissed his older brother’s cheek before flying away to the portal to the mortal realm.

\---

Seungyoon curled up on the couch, biting his fingernails in nervousness. The apartment was made up, everything was in place. He had nothing to worry about now—he’d just finished enrolling at a university, all the needed furniture was bought, all the shrubs he liked are on the pots.

The only thing was missing was—a way to find Mino.

In his rush to see Mino, he’d forgotten that the autumn god could’ve been somewhere, anywhere, other than Seoul. He could’ve gone to Japan or China for his studies. Or in London or Paris.

Wait—the European cities were quite impossible. Unless Mino had the patience to learn English or French.

Nevertheless, the bottom line was, Seungyoon never thought it through. At all.

Yes, he’d clad himself in a human cloak so as to avoid detection by Mino (why he did that, he had no idea). There would be no way Mino would know it was him, not even a hint.

But what’s the point of all this when he’ll never even have the chance to see him?

He suddenly remembered a passage from a book he’d once read before. _“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”_

He prayed that it was true.

Just as he was about to groan from his stupidity, he heard several knocks on the door.

“Who is it?” he asked.

“It’s—uh,” he heard a voice reply from the other side of the door. “It’s your new roommate. Can I come in?”

That voice. That kind of uncertainty in that tone towards the new.

Seungyoon nearly fell from the couch as he stumbled towards the door, his heart thudding so fast it made breathing difficult.

He opened the door in haste, and he literally had to stop himself from crying out in joy—and spring out flowers.

Because standing in front of him—with his dark brown hair windblown and messy, his loose shirt giving him a peek of his shoulder tattoo, eyes curious and anxious as he stared right at him—was Mino, holding several large boxes on his arms.

Unlike Seungyoon, he didn’t even bother concealing his godly aura—a aura only deities can sense.

The spring god smiled, happiness blooming in his chest. “Oh hey,” he greeted. “So you’re the roommate, huh.”

“Ah, hi,” Mino stuttered, entering the apartment. “You won’t mind me around, right?”

“Of course I won’t mind,” Seungyoon told him.

_Of course, now when you’re here again, with me._

_Of course, now that I see you again._

Seungyoon prayed Mino didn’t hear the crazed delight in his voice when he said those words.

“By the way, what are inside those boxes? Let me help you out.”

“Thanks. Um . . . art materials, mostly.”

_Art materials? What for?_ “Oh, you’re an artist? Wow.”

“Not really,” Mino said sheepishly. “I’m an art student in Yonsei.”

Seungyoon’s mind literally paused for a fraction of a second as he processed that information. Yonsei? So that meant—

“Cool,” he breathed, an overwhelming rush of victory and joy filling him. The universe really was with him—maybe he’d enrolled in a different major, but the important part was, Mino was in the same university he was in, and moreover, he shared an apartment with him.

He couldn’t ask for anything more. It was more than he’d wished for.

Before his emotions could get the better of him, he asked, “Wait, let me ask—what’s your name, by the way?”

_Who are you?_ Mino had asked before, his eyes confused and annoyed and pleading.

“Mino,” the other man replied, a smile on his lips. “Song Mino.”

Seungyoon held out his hand, remembering the common courtesy, thinking of how much he’d wanted to feel the warmth of Mino’s skin against his again.

“I’m Kang Seungyoon, by the way,” Seungyoon said.

_I’m Seungyoon_ , Seungyoon had replied, unsure and anxious and interested as he watched the sparkles in Mino’s eyes.

“It’s nice meeting you.”

_It’s always nice meeting you._

Mino took his hand, and Seungyoon felt the traces of his loneliness dissipate.

“Yeah, thanks, me too,” Mino smiled back. “Anyway, want to have dinner with me? I saw a nice diner close by.”

Like all those times before, like all the tiny moments when Mino would invite him to anything and everything, when he would ask to hum him a few hymns as he would paint, when he would just ask Seungyoon to accompany him as he dozed off in the midday, Seungyoon replied, “Sure.”

\----

The early morning sunlight peeked through the curtains, stirring Seungyoon awake. Beside him, Mino was still asleep, his mouth slightly open as he snored softly. He considered waking him up—they would have to go to the conference later with Jiho, after all—but instead, he stared at his sleeping face.

Mino looked so young, like a careless, reckless youth who never cared about anything. Yet the deep empathy in his dark eyes, and hidden genius in fighting and painting betrayed his true nature—who he really was, the Mino that Seungyoon had been with ever since that day.

Sometimes Seungyoon mused to himself if he did not decide to go out of the Hall, to rush out towards the forest to control his powers. He might’ve never met Mino at all, just heard of his name from other deities . . . and Seungyoon’s world would be forever black and white.

Yet deep inside, somehow he knew that he and Mino would meet, eventually. Maybe when both of them became gods, maybe when they fought with each other, or maybe in a university, sharing a class. Maybe, if Mino would drop by at a tiny diner to buy some grilled meat and kimchi while Seungyoon finished his; maybe, if Seungyoon would accidentally enter an art studio, with Mino sketching something abstract on his notepad.

Seungyoon laid his cheek against Mino’s chest, sighing as he listened to the autumn god’s heartbeat. It was steady, constant—a song Seungyoon wouldn’t mind listening to again and again. A reminder that Mino was with him, always—like what he’d promised to him.

Like what he’d asked of Seungyoon.

It never made sense to him before why he would feel so calm with Mino despite the chaos warring in his mind, of what was wrong and what was right.

It never made sense why he would never feel himself without him by his side, why the colors faded into lifeless hues when he was not around. Why he couldn’t force himself to sing songs when he wasn’t there to listen.

Yet his heart _knew_ , the heart he’d always thought was numb with isolation—

Around them, asters and forget-me-nots appeared out of nowhere in Mino’s room, along with baby’s breath and white pansies. Along with the blue roses Mino had always loved.

The arm wrapped around him tightened, and he could feel warm, soft lips press against his hair.

Seungyoon looked up, meeting Mino’s soft gaze on him. His eyes were the brightest orbs he’d ever seen— _where are the stars in the sky? oh, in your eyes_ —and the most endearing. And his small, delicate lips, those lips that ignited the wildest of flames that drove Seungyoon mad whenever he kissed him—

Mino smiled at him, still sleepy yet obviously happy and adoring as he caressed Seungyoon’s cheeks. “I know,” he murmured. “I love you, too.”

Mino knew. Mino understood. Mino knew his heart way before Seungyoon grasped what it had always wanted.

Seungyoon smiled back and closed his eyes, listening to Mino’s heartbeat once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The book quote used in this chapter is from Paulo Coelho's "The Alchemist." If you haven't read it yet, I suggest you do. ^^  
>   
> And oh, I mentioned flowers again! Check out the Japanese language of the flowers (hanakotoba) for reference, just in case.  
>   
> Edit: Alternative/Additional part to this[ is on my tumblr](https://coffee-and-cookies-mochi.tumblr.com/post/183163390303/flashbacks-alternative)


	9. act 05 - before the storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yessss we're back here! Act 05 is basically Mino's and Seungyoon's POV of the whole Act 04 [here.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16482668/chapters/42866060) For now, everything will be light and all, so I can't say for now whether there will be angst as well.  
>   
> For now, please enjoy *^^*

[ _time setting:_ a few days after [ this event](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16482668/chapters/42866060) )]

After that Undead Soul broke through the Celestrium’s barriers and attempted to attack them, Mino felt that at some point he and Seungyoon had to separate. After all, the autumn god concentrated much on the ocean realm, as he is also the god responsible for it.

(Not to mention that Jiho said something about it—and severely told Mino to go to the seas before the higher god left for the Celestrium.)

Still, it didn’t mean he wanted for them to part—even temporarily.

“It’s part of our job, Mino,” Seungyoon muttered as he prepared their dinner back in the apartment. “We have no choice but to be responsible and do our tasks right.”

“But for how long?” Mino whined, tightening his arms around the spring god. He knew he probably looked like a koala hugging a eucalyptus, but he didn’t care. Anyway, it seemed that Seungyoon didn’t mind—or so he wanted to think.

“Until it’s all over,” Seungyoon replied simply. “Or, until everything’s under control, I suppose. Basing on my own experience from being with Jiho-hyung, it doesn’t usually last long unless it swells to a war.”

Mino shuddered, his memories of _that_ war entering his mind. “I don’t want that.”

“I don’t and won’t want that, either,” the spring god murmured, walking towards the table and setting down the food (with Mino still clinging to him like a barnacle). “Which is why all battle gods, along with the higher gods, are doing their best to alleviate the situation.”

“But—” Mino started, then closed his mouth. He knew what Seungyoon would say if he ever said his words out loud. That it was their responsibility, it was their job, that they would be accountable for everything. It was just how Seungyoon was—responsible, meticulous, doesn’t take any excuse not to work.

However, Mino had a promise. A promise he didn’t want to break—a promise he himself had uttered to the one he loved most.

“But what?” Seungyoon prompted, noticing Mino’s sudden silence.

“I. . . I promised you . . .” Mino mumbled, burying his face on the spring god’s shoulder.

“What promise?”

“ . . . That I wouldn’t leave your side.”

Seungyoon went still for a moment, making Mino worry. Did he say anything weird again? 

“Mino,” Seungyoon finally said. “Kindly untangle yourself from me.”

Although surprised—and a little hurt—from his words, Mino did so. Seungyoon then turned to face him, and cupped his cheeks. The autumn god kept his eyes on the floor, not wanting his face to be seen.

“Mino?” the spring god asked gently, his voice sweet. “Look up at me.”

The autumn god didn’t.

With a light chuckle, Seungyoon slightly adjusted himself so he could kiss Mino’s lips. It took a second before he responded, fingers tangling on his blue hair as he kissed deeply.

Sighing, the spring god pulled away slightly and tilted Mino’s head up. “I do appreciate the fact that you’re trying to keep your promise to me, Mino, I swear. But there’s no need for you to be sad about it.”

“I’m just terrified of your lobelias, that’s all,” Mino mumbled. “Or your rafflesias, for that matter.”

“Silly,” the spring god poked his forehead, laughing. “I’m not going to wrap you in vines, promise.”

“I just don’t want to leave . . . for us to separate,” Mino whispered. “Can’t I just stay here while I watch over the seas from a distance?”

“No, you won’t. You will go there and do your job.”

“But—”

The spring god interrupted his words with a kiss. “I’ll miss you, too,” he said softly, caressing Mino’s cheeks. “But this time, the temporary separation will not bug me as much as it did before.”

The autumn god blinked. “Why?”

Seungyoon smiled. “Because I know you’ll come back home—that, and you’re with me in more ways than one.”

The spring god’s gentle words tugged at Mino’s heartstrings, happiness and love and contentment spreading throughout his system. Something about Seungyoon’s words calmed and reassured him—as if telling him that everything will be all right and well.

Mino smiled back, tears starting to smart his eyes. “Okay.”

“Oh my, such a baby,” Seungyoon chuckled, wiping at his tears. “Don’t cry, it’s just a few weeks or months.”

“Can I visit you at least?”

“Of course you may.”

Mino then held him tight in his arms, his nose inhaling the sweet scent of the spring god’s hair. He’ll miss this—he’ll miss him.

“I love you,” he breathed.

Baby’s breaths and forget-me-nots bloomed around the kitchen as Seungyoon held him closer. “I love you, too.”

-

“Wait—when you said about the temporary separation bugging you less now . . . does that mean . . .?”

“What?”

“ . . . When I always leave you for a while, did it always bug you? Or irritate you?”

“Of course it does. What if you get attacked again by some beast or something?”

“But . . . what about those days when I would be gone for a few weeks to train when we were still in Celestrium? Or when I went here in the mortal realm?”

“ . . . Go to sleep, Mino.”

“Come on, Seungyoon—did you miss me? Even a bit?”

“You need to sleep. Really.”

“I won’t sleep until you tell me.”

An annoyed huff from the spring god. “Such a child.”

“Seungyoon!”

Seungyoon pulled the blankets closer to his body. “Yes, I did,” he muttered, a dark blush covering his cheeks. “Now I’ve told you that—please go to sleep, Mino. You are horrible when you sleep less.”

Mino wrapped an arm around Seungyoon’s waist, his front to the spring god’s back. There was a wide smile on his face as he whispered a _good night._

_Why did I even say that?_ Seungyoon thought sullenly, letting his body sink in the autumn god’s warmth.

***

When Mino left for the ocean, Seungyoon gave him a flower crown of blue roses. He had also woven azaleas, chamomiles, goldenrods, and forget-me-nots within the crown. In exchange, Mino sent him several periwinkle shells and pink pearls as soon as he arrived in the ocean realm.

Seungyoon smiled as he placed his ear on the periwinkle’s opening. He can hear the calm waves of the sea, lulling him to calmness. It was something his brother, Jiho, had told him about when they once hunted for shells as a child—and Mino attested to later on.

And the pink pearls—Seungyoon knew what it meant. Three pearls meant endless love, four pearls meant a promise that will never be forsaken.

Mino gave him seven.

***

Within the oceans, Mino took care of any proceedings that needed his presence—patrolling the areas for any cursed beasts or presence of a twisted deities, reading all reports, watching over the whole realm and (to his constant irritation) calming all the sea elders down. They were confident with Celestrium’s involvement, not so much with the Underworld’s.

The autumn god was aware if it—these elders have some sort of prejudice against the Underworld’s residents. He’d heard a number of thinly veiled insults and sarcastic remarks about them, things he wouldn’t want Jinwoo to hear. In fact, these were the very same elders who had suggested that the dark realm had a hand regarding the presence of cursed beasts.

_Odd that they didn’t even consider me, a half-twisted deity,_ Mino had thought once dryly. _That, or they knew what would possibly happen if they spoke up about it._

Seungyoon had given him, Jinwoo, and Seunghoon communication devices (courtesy of Lord Kyung) for the sake of updating each other. Most of the time, Mino only talked with Seunghoon regarding the twisted deities. There would be days he’d update Jinwoo when the Underworld god asked for any. Very rarely he would talk with Seungyoon though—at first it was because the spring god was very much preoccupied himself, then later it was because of Mino’s hectic schedule.

It was tiring, totally exhausting. Mino couldn’t count the days he lost sleep; he could only steal a few winks or so.

Strangely (or not so strangely, maybe), only a glimpse of that flower crown by his desk somehow eased him. It was as if Seungyoon was just there, with him.

He then understood Seungyoon’s words, that their temporary separation now bothered him less than before.

***

On the other hand, Seungyoon was busy spearheading almost everything within the mortal realm. He read and wrote reports, received updates from the sub-deities scattered around, and occupied himself in making healing balms and potions within his house in the god’s realm. Sometimes, due to his schedule within the mortal realm, he ended up making them inside the apartment, thus the sticky, smelly mess.

Aside from his obligations as the god of spring, he also had to deal with Mino’s school duties back at Yonsei. Thankfully, the autumn god had finished all his requirements for graduation; all Seungyoon needed to do was to submit them, then check whether they were enough or if there were still some he needed to accomplish.

Usually, he would cloak himself and pretend he was Song Mino, his appearance, voice, and even behavior copied perfectly. But one time, he was too tired to even notice that—

“Mr. Kang!” the school’s head registrar, Mr. Park, greeted him with a wide grin. “Been so long since you last visited Yonsei. How have you been?”

“Huh?” Seungyoon was confused; surely the professor was mistaken. 

A quick glance at the office mirror made him realize his gaffe. In his exhaustion over his own duties, he’d forgotten to conceal himself and do his usual charade. 

_So much for trying to dress up as Mino and even stuffing his own things at my bag . . ._

“Ah, yes, I’m sorry for that, Mr. Park,” he said apologetically, praying that he sounded smooth. “My family had to move back again to Busan and I had no choice but to come with them. Things had been . . . pretty hectic, so I had no choice but to quit school for a while.”

“That’s too bad,” Mr. Park clicked his tongue. “You were one of our best students, Mr. Kang—a pride of the University. Any plans to come back?”

“Uh . . .” Seungyoon pretended to consider for a moment. “I’ll try to see if I can, sir.”

In truth, since Mino was already graduating, he had no more plans of coming back to Yonsei. But he had to admit, he missed going to a human school. The lull within the campus, the students’ bustling and the never-ending books and school festivals—he liked them all. Sadly, him being a god hindered him from enjoying them fully.

“Well, what brings you here?” Mr. Park asked.

“Uh, I’m here to inquire about the upcoming graduation, sir,” Seungyoon replied. “Mi—Song Mino told me he really couldn’t come today, but since I’d told him I’ll be dropping by he asked me to do so for him.”

“Ah, that,” the registrar started to comb through the graduation folders—application forms and additional needed requirements submitted by the applicants. “I believe he has already fulfilled everything—ah yes, he has,” he told him, retrieving a brown folder and scanning the contents inside. “He passed the subjects with flying colors, his forms are filled out—tell him there’s nothing to worry about.”

“I see. Thank you, sir.” _At least all those nights of writing those year-end essays and filling out the application form were worth it._  
“All he needs to do is to attend the graduation ceremonies, as the attendance is required among the students,” Mr. Park said sternly. “Will you come by to watch, Mr. Kang?”

For a moment Seungyoon thought his words translated to, _‘You really should’ve finished here at Yonsei so you would be able to graduate with him.’_

Not that he cared. Graduating was the least of his worries—especially given the gravity of their situation right now.

“I’ll do my best to do so,” Seungyoon smiled. “He’s a dear friend, and I would be very proud to see him have his diploma.”

_In truth, I’ll probably end up cloaking myself as Song Mino and get that diploma myself,_ the spring god thought glumly.

“Is that so? Well, please pass it along to Mr. Song, Mr. Kang,” the registrar dismissed.

“I understand. Thank you, sir.”

***

Outside, as he sat on a wooden bench underneath a large tree, the spring god sighed heavily with weariness. Juggling his duties as a god of the earth and as ‘Song Mino’ in one day drained him so much, sometimes he wondered how he was able to even survive it. Then again, he’d been subjected to worse days when he was staying in Celestrium—studying all day and mastering spells until he almost shrunk to his weak form.

He closed his eyes, wanting to sleep and escape, even for a little while.

_Mino . . ._

It had been several weeks since they’d parted ways, and Seungyoon thought he would be used to it by now. Waking up alone, eating alone, and dealing everything alone . . . he thought he was getting better with it.

He wasn’t. Not even close.

Everything went smoothly as he’d wanted, he managed to accomplish things at the right time, and not once was he ever delayed in relaying information and delivering healing stuff to anyone who needed them. However, despite all that, he felt as if something was terribly missing—like there was a gaping hole he couldn’t close or fill in.

Going home to an empty apartment worsened that feeling.

A scarlet geranium plant suddenly grew by the bench he was lying down at, reflecting his thoughts. Normally he’d panic and quickly try to hide it before anyone sees it, but right now, he just didn’t care.

Opening his eyes, he picked a flower and twirled it between his fingers.

_. . . please come back home soon._

***

“You’ll accompany me here, Lord Kyung?” Mino asked, his eyebrows furrowed as he stared at Kyung. The older god suddenly appeared out of nowhere inside Mino’s office within the ocean’s fort, rearranging the books and paint brushes scattered on the floor.

“Yes, as per Lord Seunghyun’s—then later on Lord Daesung’s—request,” Kyung muttered, picking up the remaining book and placing it on the shelves. “Not that they’re distrusting towards you, okay—just figured you needed extra help. And please, call me _hyung._ ”

“How about Seungyoonie?” Mino inquired, helping him out. “He has his hands full too, you know.”

“As far as the higher gods told me, he has a hundred or so sub-deities at his disposal. So sending another god would be totally unnecessary.”

“. . . I thought Jiho-hyung would be with him.”

“That’s what I thought as well. But he’s also busy with all those battle plans going on along with Seunghoon, so I guess it’s impossible.”

Mino bit his lip, feeling worried and guilty. The spring god didn’t mention anything to him, but every time they talked using the device, the autumn god noticed the tiredness in the dark circles under Seungyoon’s eyes. Sometimes, he would fall asleep halfway in the conversation, and Mino would just end up staring at his sleeping face.

Of course, knowing Seungyoon, he’d never say he was exhausted—but it didn’t lessen Mino’s remorse about the whole situation.

“Why? What’s worrying you?” Kyung wondered, gazing curiously at Mino’s face. “Come on, you know Seungyoon can do this. He’ll be fine—he’d had worse, remember?”

Mino remained silent, thinking how to ease his lover’s burden.

Send him more pink pearls? Give him sparkling shells? Show him the most colorful of fish? Let him have a taste of the ocean breeze? Or maybe just skip a meeting tomorrow and drop by at the apartment and—

“Mino? You look like an over-worried lover.”

Kyung’s sudden words sent a jolt on Mino’s system, causing him to react a bit too aggressively.

“N-no, it’s not like that!” Mino laughed a little too forcibly. “What are you even talking about, Kyungie-hyung?”

The god’s eyes narrowed, and twinkled mischievously. “Oh ho, I see. Huh. _Finally,_ huh?”

“E-eh?”

The god of mischief’s smirk widened. “Oh please, quit acting coy Mino. I’ve known you for a very long time—and I’ve observed you with the elusive spring god, you know.”

Mino pursed his lips, turning his head sideways to avoid Kyung’s teasing face. “Yeah, fine. We’re . . . _dating,_ as per human terms,” he muttered after a moment, his cheeks flushed. “Happy now?”

“Fi—na—lly!!!” Kyung crowed, throwing his arms around Mino and jumping. “Took you several freaking decades but—I’m so proud of you!! Thank goodness!!!”

“W-Why do you sound so excited, hyung?” The autumn god grumbled. 

“Can’t hyung be happy for his little brother?” Kyung made a face, pulling back. “And—just so you know, watching Seungyoon from afar with sad puppy eyes gets sickening at some point.”

“Nobody asked you to observe me!”

“Well, you just look so interesting to watch Mino,” Kyung grinned. “While you succeed in hiding your emotions, your walls come crumbling down when Seungyoonie’s around.”

_I do?_

The older god rolls his eyes. “Yes, you do. You don’t look like the supposed powerful god of earth-shakes and sea waves—you look like a happy child finally seeing something he likes most.”

Mino was somewhat aware of that—several deities had noted that he was always quiet and brooding, never one to initiate a conversation unless it was with someone he knew. He could mingle with crowds and enjoy a good party, yet his shyness always leaked through.

But with Seungyoon . . . he felt so free. Like a bird flying away from its cage, finally allowed to sing and soar to the skies . . .

“Yeah,” Mino acquiesced quietly. “I know I do, hyung.”

“I’m curious, how did this come to be?” Kyung inquired, putting an arm around Mino and sitting them down on the floor. “I know you two have been very close ever since, but . . . admitting one’s true feelings can seriously injure a friendship—or deepen it.”

“Um . . .” his thoughts directed him to that night he tried to make up with Seungyoon after he broke his promise, the harsh words, soft whispers, and that kiss . . .

“ . . . I honestly don’t know, hyung,” Mino mumbled, unable to stop his lips from lifting up to a smile. “Let’s just say it fell . . . that way.”

“Like all of a sudden you admitted your feelings and then—?”

“No . . . like . . . uh . . .” Mino was at a loss. How can he even express his shock, happiness, relief, and gratitude when he realized that Seungyoon felt the same way?

Kyung observed the ever-changing expressions in Mino’s eyes, then softened as he whispered, “Seungyoon loved you too, I see.”

Mino’s smile widened, his heart fluttering. He could only nod, feeling as if a million butterflies were blocking his throat—and were threatening to come out of his mouth instead.

The older god ruffled the younger one’s hair. “I’m really happy for you, Mino, I swear. No wonder I could now see peace in your eyes lately.”

“Thank you, hyung.”

“Any plans to tell Jiho?”

Mino froze, blanching. _Crap_ —he hadn’t considered this. Seungyoon’s older brother, the battle god of celestial thunderstorms . . .

“I plan on telling him that, hyung,” Mino stammered. “But . . . not now, I suppose.”

“Hmm?” He peered closer at Mino’s clammy face. “Aren’t you afraid I’d spill the details to Jiho, Mino-ya~?”

The autumn god grabbed Kyung’s sleeve. “Please, hyung?” he pleaded. “Don’t tell Jiho-hyung yet.”

“But why?”

“What if he faints? Or throws me with a thunderbolt? Or even kill me?!” Mino panicked. “You know how overprotective he is towards his brother!”

Kyung burst out laughing at Mino’s reactions. “You make it sound like Jiho turns into some beast when it’s all about Yoonie. Well . . . he is, though, to be honest.”

“Hyung!”

Kyung laughed harder. “Relax, relax, Mino—of course I won’t tell him. You can count on that.” 

Mino couldn’t help looking at Kyung warily. “Really, hyung?”

“Your obvious distrust in me is wounding, Mino-ya.”

“You’re the god of mischief, hyung—please allow me to be a bit disbelieving.”

The said god of mischief chuckled. “Well, I _am_ , but that doesn’t mean I don’t keep promises like that. Anyway, it’s your right _and_ obligation as Seungyoon’s lover to tell Jiho that, not mine.”

“Besides,” Kyung continued, “I can see that you do sincerely love Yoonie very much. Although I’m yet to see Yoonie’s reactions towards you, I know he feels the same.”

Mino sighed in relief. “Thank you so much, hyung.”

“I just gotta warn you—Jiho is an overprotective mother wolf to Seungyoon. So if he ever heard you hurt his adorable little brother . . .”

“I know, I know,” Mino muttered. “I’m really doing my best, hyung.”

“To preserve your life?”

“No. To be deserving of someone like Seungyoon.”

Kyung smiled and patted the younger god’s head. “Trust me, Mino,” he told him. “You _are._ ”


	10. act 05 - after the storm

[ _time setting_ : the next day after seunghoon wakes up through seungyoon’s spell; reference is this [chapter](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16482668/chapters/44102800) ]

Soft yet constant purrs, along with some warm nuzzling on his face woke Mino up from his sleep. The autumn god struggled to crack an eye open, wondering what it was. It couldn’t be a cat, wouldn’t it, since he and Seungyoon didn’t own a cat—?

_Wait._

A _cat_ was practically right at his face, its nose rubbing against his. One of its front paws was on his chest, the other paw on his shoulder blade. Sensing that the god was (probably) awake, it stopped rubbing and stared right at Mino’s sleepy eyes.

For a second Mino thought it was one of Jinwoo’s cats waking him up—but Rey and Bei were Sphynx cats, and this white, fluffy feline was a . . . munchkin cat.

And Mino knew that it was no ordinary munchkin cat (or even a normal cat, for that matter), because what kind of cat would deadpan look at a god in the eye?

The cat bristled, hissing, and placed its paw on Mino’s cheek.

_Seriously, Mino. I’m not Rey._

“Oh my goodness,” Mino blinked and rubbed his eyes frantically. “Yoonie?”

The cat literally rolled its eyes. _Of course it’s me._

The autumn god sat up on the bed in shock, staring at the Seungyoon-cat in disbelief. “Since when were you a _cat,_ Seungyoon?!”

_Since now. The landlady was here a while ago while you were sleeping, and I figured being an arctic fox wasn’t a good idea. So I had no choice but to be a cat._

Mino knew if Seungyoon could shrug at his cat form, he probably would’ve.

“Seungyoon,” Mino muttered slowly, still incredulous. “You could’ve been a dog, you know. Like, I don’t know—a poodle or a Shih Tzu, maybe? Or a Labrador Retriever?”

_I thought that, too. Then again, I and the landlady know that you cannot handle canines well. Remember when you couldn’t even pet her Saint Bernard without looking paranoid?_

Mino chewed on his lower lip, remembering that episode. Seungyoon had done his best to cover the autumn god’s weird antics towards the confused dog while subtly attempted to calm the animal down.

“Oh, right. Sorry about that. Anyway, is it all right with you—being a cat, I mean?”

_For the time being, yes. I’ll be back to my fox form later, I guess. However, it won’t be long before I phase back to my normal self,_ Seungyoon told him.

“So you’ll be a fox . . . when we visit Jinwoo-hyung’s bungalow later?”

_Most probably. Oh—before we visit Seunghoon-hyung and Jinwoo-hyung, I believe it would be best if we send a message that we’ll come by, at least._

Mino raised a brow in confusion. “Huh? Why?”

The Seungyoon-cat smirked. _Trust me, we will have to. Unless you want to see something . . . not so pleasant?_

The autumn god felt his ears heat a little, understanding what Seungyoon meant. “Okay, okay fine. Should I even state the exact time?”

The cat let out a sound—that seemed like a chuckle. _I think it’s gonna be a bit unnecessary—and honestly, maybe even useless—but . . . I don’t see why not._

-

At Seungyoon’s advice, Mino did send a message twice to Jinwoo that they’ll come to visit. Promptly after breakfast, the two left to walk towards the bungalow, with Seungyoon back on his fox form. The Seungyoon-fox squeezed itself inside Mino’s large backpack, which the autumn god wore at his front.

It was too hot outside—it was mid-summer, anyway—with most people wearing umbrellas or loose clothing. Nothing seemed suspicious or odd-looking, but Mino could definitely notice one thing.

The summer flowers he spotted in several shops and in the park’s garden were bright and colorful once more, unlike the subtle paleness their petals once had. It was also something that Seungyoon observed when he poked his little head to look outside.

_He’s really awake and back to his usual self,_ Seungyoon mused, mostly to himself. _Thank goodness._

“You really did well in reversing it, Seungyoon,” Mino murmured. “Congrats.”

_I’m honestly glad about it. I’ll admit, though—I wanted to do more, just so it would ease the burden. Shorten his stay in the Underworld, maybe. But . . . I guess it’s really a binding curse. I can’t break it, so I have no choice but to respect it._

“The curse was that strong?”

_Yes. Well, me shrinking to my weak form is enough proof of it—but the curse is stronger than it looks like. I knew it was wise not to overdo the reversing spell._

“I see . . .”

Upon arriving at the bungalow, Mino did tentative knocks. The door opened, revealing a just-woken-up Seunghoon, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

“Who is it?” the summer god mumbled drowsily.

Tears—of joy, shock, disbelief, or relief, he wasn’t sure—started to form in Mino’s eyes, a surge of emotions filling his heart. It had felt like weeks, or even years, but seeing Seunghoon like this again, so unlike the half-dead god that he was . . .

Excited screeching and frantic movement inside his bag woke him up from his reverie—and so did Seunghoon’s.

“Mino?” The summer god blinked, and grinned widely as he embraced the autumn god warmly. “Hey—good morning! Sorry, I didn’t recognize you—oh wait, is this an arctic fox?!”

The said fox whined, holding out its paws towards Seunghoon. Mino couldn’t help chuckling.

“Hyung,” Mino murmured, his voice gruff with unshed tears. “That’s Seungyoon.” 

“Eh?” The summer god peered at the whining fox closely, then laughed out loud as he carried it out of the bag and held it close to him. 

“Ah, Seungyoonie, of course it’s _you_!” He said between chortles, while the Seungyoon-fox licked his face in obvious joy. “Ah, wah, Yoonie—look, my face is getting icky!”

“Seunghoon, what’s going on—” Jinwoo rushed out of the bungalow, hearing the commotion outside, then stopped at the sight before him.

The Seungyoon-fox repeatedly lapping Seunghoon’s face despite the latter’s playful complaints, and Mino just watching them with teary eyes.

The autumn god met Jinwoo’s eyes, then spread out his arms.

Jinwoo smiled, understanding the gesture. He walked towards them and wrapped his arms around Seunghoon and Mino, squishing the fox in the middle.

“Hmm?” Seunghoon turned his face slightly at Jinwoo, who was beaming up at him, then at Mino. “What is it?”

“Nothing, hyung,” Mino replied. “Just . . . good morning, hyung. It’s nice to see you again.”

The older god smiled fondly at him, ruffling his hair. “Yeah, me too.”

Around them, dandelions and lilies of the valley bloomed subtly around Jinwoo’s garden, the flowers’ scent permeating in the summer air.

-

“So you’ll be recuperating here in the bungalow, hyung?” Mino asked, then sipped his juice. “Don’t you have any plans to at least tell the higher gods you’re awake now?”

“I still get a bit dizzy and weak when I stand or walk for too long, honestly,” Seunghoon told him. “Well, I can use my powers—but only to a limited extent. I think I’m going to faint by the time I arrive at the Celestrium, so no.”

Seungyoon-fox whined on the floor, then placed a paw on Mino’s leg. “He’s asking whether you need some sort of healing, hyung,” he voiced out the spring god’s question.

“No need, Seungyoonie—I just need to get used to it. After all, I was out for _days_. Besides, you also need to recover from your weak form.”

“Maybe we can ask any of the higher gods to come here then just represent you? They might be looking for you still.”

“Gah—I had enough of those higher gods. No offense, but I don’t know if I can stand Lord Jiyong’s presence anymore. He chills me to the bone,” the summer god shuddered.

Jinwoo chuckled, shaking his head. “He’s a bit more bearable with Dara-noona around, though.”

“Wait,” Mino tilted his head in confusion. “Lord Jiyong was always here? Really?”

“Not exactly,” Jinwoo clarified. “Seunghoon could always feel his presence even when he was still unconscious—and about an hour earlier, he visited us here. He just told us that he reported about what happened to Seunghoon and I, then all the spells involved. Also, he shared some things about the, uh, spell I casted on Seunghoon, and the possible effects on his body.”

“Which are?”

“He’ll feel some sort of a sleepy sensation, which will make his feet walk towards the Underworld, and once he arrives there he’ll stay for a season or so. Also, there might be a few . . . changes on his appearance,” Jinwoo replied. “Lord Jiyong’s words, not mine.”

The fox sat up straighter, its eyes narrowed. “Lord Taeyang theorized Seunghoon-hyung will stay in the Underworld during the winter,” Mino said Seungyoon’s thought aloud. “Is that true?”

“Well, it’s still yet to be known,” the winter god shrugged. “I mean, it took some time before Dara-noona figured out when she’ll descend to the Underworld before—and when she’ll return to the god’s realm.”

“Meanwhile, I’m going to enjoy the summer here in the mortal realm and forget my battle god duties,” Seunghoon said, throwing an arm around Jinwoo’s shoulders. “They have other gods there at their disposal.”

“Hyung,” Mino laughed a bit uncertainly, “Just a reminder—you’re considered as one of the best strategists. I don’t think they’ll let you have a long vacation even when you’re within the Underworld.”

“Ugh. Can’t they just train more battle gods in there in strategic planning rather than strengthening? They can’t just rely on me or Lord Jiho or Lord Seunghyun or even Lord Jiyong all the time.”

“Seunghoon, it’s easier to improve and show off the brawn for the other battle gods, rather than the brains,” Jinwoo smiled teasingly.

Seunghoon groaned in irritation.

“How about the two of you? Any agenda for today?” Jinwoo asked Mino.

“We cleared everything for today, hyung,” Mino shrugged. “So we’ll probably be lounging in your bungalow all day and annoy Seunghoon-hyung.”

The winter god laughed out loud while the summer god threw an orange towards Mino. “Annoy _me_?” Seunghoon raised a brow. “Is that some sort of a challenge?”

Mino caught the orange with one hand, and peeled it as he smiled cheekily at the older god. “Consider it as a payback for bothering me all the time, hyung,” he said. “Nothing fancy.”

“Is Seungyoonie on this?”

The fox just smiled toothily.

-

Later in the afternoon, while the three gods were lazing on Jinwoo’s large couch watching a movie (with Seungyoon-fox sprawled on the floor, half-asleep), they heard knocks on the door. The gods shared a look, then Seungyoon raised his head, his eyes alert and ears straightened up.

After a few sniffs in the air, he let out a whine. He then nudged Mino with his nose.

“Why? Who is it?” Mino asked.

_Jiho-hyung. Probably here to see Seunghoon-hyung._

Mino chuckled, ruffling Seungyoon-fox’s neck. “Will you be okay with him?”

_I’ll be fine._

“Who is it?” Jinwoo inquired.

“Ji—Lord Jiho, dropping by to visit,” Mino told him, rising up to open the door. 

Seunghoon made a face. “Oh, joy. Will I ever have a decent work leave?”

“Maybe he’s just here to see you?” Jinwoo said consolingly.

Outside, Jiho stood up, waiting, a box of donuts and coffee with him. “Oh, hey,” he greeted, seeing Mino. “Is Seunghoon here?”

“Well yeah—and he’s being a grouch because you’re here,” Mino chuckled, getting the food from him. “How did you know this is Jinwoo-hyung’s bungalow, though?”

“He practically gave me the address before,” the higher god shrugged. “Well, excuse me . . .”

As he entered, he spotted the large canine lying on the floor, its eyes on Jiho. It took a second before Jiho recognized him.

The higher god crouched down and nuzzled his face against Seungyoon-fox’s fur. “Sorry,” he murmured. “And I’m glad you’re fine, Yoonie.”

Jiho settled himself to sit on the beanbag next to Seungyoon, unable to keep himself away from his younger brother. The fox placed its head on the higher god’s lap, closing his eyes.

“I’m sorry for dropping by so suddenly,” Jiho apologized. “But I really couldn’t stand not seeing my brother—and all of you.”

“No, it’s fine,” Jinwoo quickly reassured him, suddenly feeling awkward. “There’s no need to apologize.”

“And, uh, while we’re here and it’s just us, please drop the formalities,” Jiho smiled. “I’ll say, it gets a bit suffocating and—well, awkward. After all, Seunghoon’s just my age and Mino’s considerably my younger brother . . . and your position is practically higher than mine, Jinwoo- _hyung_.”

Seunghoon burst out laughing, squatting down on the floor. “Thank goodness. No offense, but I’d been wanting to just address you as _Jiho_ , really. I’m envious at Seungyoon—he only has the rights to not call you Lord Jiho.”

“Baby brother advantages,” Jiho grinned, and earned himself a bite in the hand from Seungyoon. “Ow! What was that for?”

“Well, anyway, other than to see you—I have a bit of something to tell you, Seunghoon,” Jiho said. “I heard the real story from both Lord Jiyong and Mino, and I’m willing to hide that secret for you. Thing is, I’m worried over the long run . . .”

The summer god tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

“I know that every year, you’ll descend to the Underworld and stay there. It won’t take long before other deities notice this, regardless if they’re higher gods or not. Your public story won’t make sense after that—and what do you plan about it?”

“Oh, right, I haven’t considered it,” Jinwoo muttered, rubbing his temples. “Dara-noona got away with her own situation eventually because she married Lord Jiyong . . .”

“Well, let’s just say we got hitched and—ta-da!” the summer god shrugged, smirking. “Problem solved.”

The Underworld god rolled his eyes. “Be serious, Seunghoon.”

“I _am_ serious.”

“You can’t just have that as an excuse, stupid,” Jinwoo poked Seunghoon’s forehead. “Also, not that I’m embarrassed or ashamed of our relationship, but don’t you think it’s just strange that we ended up this way?”

“Who cares? It’s _our_ business, not _theirs_.”

Jinwoo facepalmed. “For a battle god, you do lack common sense.”

“Hey!”

Meanwhile, Jiho could only watch them in bewilderment and fascination as the two gods bickered, their conversation and the emotional climate surrounding them piquing his interest.

“Yeah, they’re dating—lovers, as you call it,” Mino muttered. “It’s something not surprising for me, but yeah. Really weird.”

The higher god then side-eyed the autumn god, an odd look in his eyes. “Well, _you_ also have a few explanations in store for me, I believe.”

Mino gulped nervously, remembering the conversation he’d had with Kyung. “Uh, yeah.”

Seungyoon-fox patted his paw on Jiho’s cheek. _Hey, hey. Relax there, hyung. And as per their dilemma—why not just say that Seunghoon-hyung’s some sort of an envoy of Celestrium to the Underworld? After all, aside from Lord Jiyong, he’s the only battle god who can understand the Underworld language._

“Hmm,” Jiho pondered. “You may be right. But wouldn’t it be strange, Seungyoonie? I mean, Jinwoo-hyung can just visit Celestrium anytime.”

_That’s true. But hyung’s really shy and he prefers to stay within the Underworld. He’s not that comfortable in Celestrium unless any of us are there._

“I see. How about the timing? I hear Lord Taeyang’s saying that Seunghoon will go there every winter.”

_It’s an open secret that Seunghoon-hyung hates the snow and becomes dramatic and dysfunctional once snowstorms start. It doesn’t snow in the Underworld, although according to Lady Sandara it’s cold there. Then again, this is Seunghoon-hyung with a Jinwoo-hyung we’re talking about, so it’s fine._

“Hmm. Good thinking as always, dear brother,” he tousled the fox’s fur. “Why aren’t you considering being a battle god yet? You can be a good strategist.”

_Thanks, but no thanks. Fighting isn’t really my thing—you’re the one for it, not me._

“Seungyoon thought of an idea for that,” Jiho announced, stopping the squabbling between Jinwoo and Seunghoon. “You’ll be a diplomat for Celestrium, so to speak, to the Underworld.”

“Oh wow, Seungyoon,” the summer god grouched. “I’m a battle god _and_ a diplomat now?”

“Well, you’re good at negotiations and dealing with others, hyung,” Mino shrugged. “So I guess that makes sense.”

“Ugh, okay, fine,” Seunghoon sighed. “I’m still on the whole we’re-married-so-there’s-nothing-off-about-it agendum, though.”

“And how are you gonna explain that then, you annoying god?” Jinwoo raised a brow.

“I have my ways, Jinwoo,” Seunghoon grinned slyly. “And a few ideas.”

“We _will_ stick to Seungyoon’s idea, Seunghoon—and let them think whatever they want a few decades down the road,” Jinwoo concluded.

“And what made you decide that for yourself?”

Jinwoo smiled, his silver eyes slowly glimmering into crimson. “I did,” he said softly, “as Master of the Underworld.”

Seunghoon held up his hands in defeat. “Okay, you win.”

-

Later, when night had fallen, Seungyoon and Mino returned to their apartment. The fox was asleep the whole time they walked back and until they reached their place. Mino figured that the spring god might return to his original self soon; the latter had told him that if he ever got sleepier within the day, it was a sign that he’ll phase back anytime.

Of course, it was no surprise that Jiho would follow them—or more specifically, follow Mino. After all, the autumn god literally had to explain something.

Once Mino had settled the sleeping Seungyoon-fox comfortably on his bed, he sluggishly walked towards the living room, where Jiho was waiting. The older god was sitting on the ottoman, his eyes on the television. It seemed like he was watching the drama series playing, but Mino knew that he was waiting.

Mino took a deep breath, trying to relax his nerves, and sat on the chair nearest to Jiho. There was a tense, awkward silence between them before Jiho lowered the TV’s volume and sighed.

“I kind of sensed something between the two of you the last time we met in the Celestrium, when my brother was trying to find Seunghoon,” he began, his eyes never leaving the TV. “Subtle, but there’s definitely a change on the emotional climate between the two of you.”

He turned his head slightly towards Mino, his obsidian eyes not giving away any emotion. “So what’s the deal between the two of you?”

“U-Uh,” Mino stammered, his heart starting to race and head beginning to swim. He knew there was nothing much to worry; Jiho had known him ever since he was a demigod and was a senior of his in Lord Seunghyun’s class. Mino knew Jiho cared for him as if he was his own brother . . .

But then again, this was _Seungyoon_ , Jiho’s remaining family. As Kyung had put it, he was an overprotective mother wolf to his younger brother, willing to rip anyone who dared to hurt Seungyoon into shreds.

And being Seungyoon’s lover posed such threat— _no._

Truthfully, he was afraid—terrified—that Jiho would suddenly attack him mercilessly once he learned that he was dating Seungyoon. But more than that, he was more horrified at the thought that Jiho might do something, or anything, to drag Seungyoon away from him.

He didn’t want that. He couldn’t bear that.

But Jiho deserved the truth.

_‘Anyway, it’s your right and obligation as Seungyoon’s lover to tell Jiho that, not mine,’_ Kyung’s words echoed in his mind.

“Uh, well, y-you know we’re close friends, right? Best friends, even,” Mino started, looking down. His heart was thundering, his face starting to dampen with cold sweat, but he couldn’t back down. “We were always together, hanging out every single day—well, except on that period when I had to go here in the mortal realm.”

Jiho was silent, not saying anything. Mino took it as a signal to continue.

“B-but . . . on the past few years, even before I went here . . . I started to develop feelings for him. The emotions I couldn’t comprehend didn’t fail to overwhelm me whenever I’m with Seungyoon. Yes, we’re just hanging out and all, but every time we have fun . . . it felt different. Strange. Weird. 

“I didn’t understand what it was—I thought I was just getting sick or something. Or maybe something was wrong with me. But I only felt that way for Seungyoon, and no one else.

“Only, when I accidentally read a book one time, when I was studying, did I realize what it was—and I admit it freaked me out.”

Mino dared to peek at Jiho’s expression through his eyelashes, and quickly looked down as soon as he realized the higher god was eyeing him seriously.

“I didn’t confess right away of course—I was afraid he’d reject me. Or say that I was just messing around with him. Instead, I just stuck around as his close friend, not wanting to impose another burden to him. I just did my best to make him happy—even though deep inside I just wanted to tell him I loved him.

“Well, it did take quite a long time—and a misunderstanding and lots of lashing around,” he paused, unable to stifle a chuckle, “but . . . eventually, I realized that he, too, liked me back. Or at least felt the same way for me. And as days passed by, I knew that he . . . he _loves_ me, too, through his eyes and his words and the flowers blooming around him.”

Jiho was still quiet, and Mino was slowly losing his composure. Even so, for the sake of Seungyoon and to earn his older brother’s approval . . .

“I-I know I must’ve told you sooner about it, hyung, and I’m really sorry for that,” Mino murmured, his fists clenched. “But I am working hard to be someone deserving of Seungyoon—someone deserving to be with Seungyoon. I’d overlooked the part when I had to tell you everything—I’m really sorry—but . . .” he looked up this time, bravely meeting Jiho’s gaze.

“I love Seungyoon, Jiho-hyung—very much. I want to stay by his side—and I promised I’d be always with him,” Mino finished.

The room was deafeningly hushed, and Mino felt like gravity was crushing him down. His head was spinning rapidly—and he knew it might be minutes before he would probably passed out.

“Actually,” Jiho said softly. “I kind of knew it myself, because I kind of analyzed the emotional climate between the two of you back then. But hearing it from you . . . I guess everything makes sense now. And even Seungyoon’s odd crankiness and sudden quiet moods . . . I understand it now.”

_Eh? Seungyoon was cranky? Well he could get a bit crabby . . . and what quiet moods?_

The battle god narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms. “Aren’t you afraid I’d take Seungyoon away from you, Mino?”

“Well, I did think that—and it scares me,” Mino admitted. “After all, you have the strength and capability to do so anytime.

“But,” he continued, “like what I said, I’m always working hard so I could stay by his side and make him happy. He’s someone very important to me, and I wouldn’t want to lose him.”

“And you’re willing to fight for it?” Jiho pressed on. “Even if it meant going against me?”

Fighting against a higher god like Jiho, was something Mino would rather stay away from. But right now, all he could say is, “I am. Whether it ends up as a falling out of our friendship or a showdown of powers, I’m willing to fight for it.”

Another moment of silence passed, then Jiho sighed deeply.

“You’ve heard him, Jiho-hyung,” Seungyoon’s firm voice jolted Mino with a shock. “And if I were on his shoes, I’d say the same thing.”

The autumn god sharply turned his head towards Seungyoon, now back on his ‘human’ form and dressed in one of Mino’s large shirts and faded jeans, standing behind him. “Seungyoon—you—” 

“Shush,” the spring god put a finger on Mino’s lips, smiling. “I heard you clearly—and so did hyung.”

Jiho chuckled in disbelief, watching them. “I sort of knew something like this will happen, yet the reality is more overwhelming than imagination, it seems.”

Seungyoon just shrugged.

“Do you love him, little brother?” Jiho asked, his eyes grave.

“More than my own self,” Seungyoon replied, his tone stable. “More than I could even imagine possible.”

The words were a soothing balm in Mino’s anxious heart, lessening his worries, and a strong reassurance to him.

Jiho’s lips lifted up to a smile, looking a little resigned. “Oh well. I can’t do anything now, can I?”

Seungyoon chuckled.

The higher god then stood up and approached Mino. “All right, I’ll leave my brother to you Mino—as his best friend, as his lover,” he said, a hand on Mino’s shoulder. “Take care of him.”

Mino blinked, unable to digest his words. “O-Okay. Thank you, hyung.”

“But if you ever dared hurt him or make him cry—” he threatened, a rumbling of thunder starting nearby.

“I won’t, I won’t, I promise!” Mino said frantically, holding up his hands. “Or rather . . . I can’t promise that, but I’ll do my best not to do so anyway.”

Jiho smiled, ruffling Mino’s hair. “Well, you’ve grown a little, I see,” he remarked fondly.

The older god then stepped back, and drew a portal. “I’ll have to be back soon at the Celestrium—gotta tell the others Seunghoon isn’t back in shape yet,” he told them. “I’ll contact you if there’s anything you need to know.”

“I understand. Thank you, hyung,” Seungyoon nodded.

With another smile and one last warning to Mino, Jiho left for the Celestrium. As soon as they were alone, Mino let out a shaky breath.

“Well, that was nerve-racking,” Mino remarked. “And really, Jiho-hyung was—”

His words were cut off with a kiss from Seungyoon, his fingers lacing through Mino’s hair. It was only a half-second before the autumn god responded, making the kiss deeper.

They pulled away from each other, their breathing ragged—and Seungyoon sitting on his lap.

“You did well, Mino,” Seungyoon murmured sweetly, cupping Mino’s cheek. “Really.”

“I was an honest mess,” Mino mumbled glumly. “I couldn’t even get the words right.”

“You were,” the spring god chuckled, shaking his head. “But you did manage to convey what you wanted to say.”

“Didn’t you tell Jiho-hyung about us, Seungyoon?” Mino wondered.

“Actually, I did—when he asked me about it,” Seungyoon confessed. “But not as explicitly as you did. I told him that you are someone important to me, someone I can’t part with—but if he doesn’t believe me, he better ask you.”

“When?”

“Hmm . . . I think a day before he left with Seunghoon-hyung?”

“Ah, really,” the autumn god grumbled. “I was so nervous earlier, and you didn’t even tell me he’d asked you already.”

“Well, I’m sorry about it,” Seungyoon said apologetically. “But . . . I guess I needed to hear the words from you. Not that I’m insecure or anything, just . . . it’s a breath of relieving air for me.”

Mino softened and tightened his arms around Seungyoon. “I’m not gonna leave your side, Seungyoon,” he murmured against Seungyoon’s hair.

“I know.”

“And I’ll probably annoy you a lot and all—but I’ll stay with you.”

“I know.”

“And I love you.”

Seungyoon smiled, then adjusted himself so he could place his head on the crook of Mino’s neck. “I know.”


	11. sa paagi nin mga burak asin kan mga kanta**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is mostly on Jiho's perspective by the way~ And yup, this is the yoonco content I was talking about!

_setting: a day before jiho and seunghoon leave to fight against the twisted deities_

 

Seungyoon watches Jiho cast protective charms on his clothes and armor, the older god’s fingers fluttering. Sometimes, the younger god sneakily sparkles a few healing dust on them, or puts some fresh juice on his older brother’s satchel.

He’s used to this, seeing Jiho prepare for battle. Ever since he was still a demigod, Jiho has always been outside, either training or hunting or fighting. However, it never lessened his worry for his brother’s safety, despite Jiho’s firm promises or numerous reassurances.

“Enough with the dust, Yoonie,” Jiho says, catching Seungyoon from the corner of his eye. “If I end up sneezing mid-battle it’s all your fault.”

Seungyoon pouts at him. “Hyung, it’s just a bit of dust,” he protests.

Jiho smiles, ruffling his younger brother’s hair. “It’s a _bit_ too much, you mean.”

The spring god pouts even more, and Jiho can’t resist pinching his cheeks.

“Hyuuuuuuuung!” Seungyoon winces, swatting his older brother’s hands away. “It hurts!”

“Why are you so cute?” Jiho coos, squishing his younger brother’s cheeks this time. “Aigoo, I can’t leave my little brother like this…”

“Jiho-hyung!”

The battle god bursts out laughing and wraps an arm gently around the spring god’s shoulders. “Sorry, Seungyoonie. It’s just that…it’s been so long since we stayed here together at home.”

“It’s all your fault,” Seungyoon mumbles, leaning his head against Jiho’s shoulder. “You’re always busy.”

“Hey—don’t talk as if you’re not swamped with your duties as spring god, Yoonie.”

“At least I drop by here!”

Jiho clasps his brother close to him, kissing the top of his hair. “Sorry, really,” he murmurs. “I’ll do my best to make up for it, promise.”

Seungyoon is quiet, but Jiho knows his brother heard him clearly.

Underneath his doting towards his brother are his gnawing thoughts about that day—when he sensed something from the emotional climate between his brother and Mino.

At first, Jiho has thought nothing of it; Mino and Seungyoon have been very close friends for so long, so gestures like those weren’t so strange.

But he knew there was a change. It was subtle, almost hidden—but definitely _there._

It was present in Seungyoon’s eyes when he stared up at Mino, it was obvious in how Mino held Seungyoon closer to him. 

Jiho didn’t want to ask his brother directly all of a sudden, or just shock him with it. He didn’t want to be hasty with his decision.

But this was _Seungyoon_ , and this was _Mino_. Jiho loved them both, but he didn’t want Seungyoon to be hurt—if his guess was right.

Jiho and Seungyoon had lost too much—their father, their respective mothers—and another heartbreak and loss would be too much for them.

It may be too much for Seungyoon.

At the same time, if he ever attempted to put a distance between Seungyoon and Mino, he knows his brother will never be able to forgive him.

“Hyung?” The spring god’s voice breaks him from his train of thought. “What’s wrong?”

“Uh, nothing,” Jiho says, hiding his thoughts with a reassuring smile. 

“Something’s bothering you, Jiho-hyung.”

The battle god chuckles to himself, shaking his head. “You know me too much, little brother.”

He sighs, then puts a firm hand on his younger brother’s shoulder. “Seungyoon,” he starts, “who is Mino to you?”

Seungyoon stills, his face blank with surprise. Jiho quickly reads his emotions—shock, confusion, and a slight twinge of fear.

“A very important person,” Seungyoon tells him carefully. “A close friend.”

“How important is important?” Jiho presses on, yet keeps his tone casual.

“Someone I can’t be without,” the spring god replies too quickly, and he realizes the implication of his words a second later—evidenced by the slight widening of his eyes.

Something that didn’t go unnoticed in Jiho’s eyes.

Jiho peers at his younger brother with narrowed eyes. “You’re not telling me something, little brother.”

Seungyoon purses his lips, as if deliberating.

“Mino’s not just any other friend now, is he?”

The spring god tenses, then nods.

“Then why aren’t you telling me anything?”

_Since when was Seungyoon this secretive? He never hid things from me before…_

“I’m just…” Seungyoon begins, then pauses. “Hyung, I was just…scared, I guess.”

The battle god’s eyebrows crease in worry. “Scared of what?”

“That you’ll reject it. Hate me because of it. Or do something awful,” his brother mumbles.

“Seungyoon, I don’t follow you.”

The spring god bites his lip and looks away from him. A moment passes before he whispers, “Hyung, I’m in love with Mino.”

Oh.

_Oh._

The marigolds and gerberas upon the mention of Mino’s name, the blooming dandelions in their garden and the blue roses in Seungyoon’s cerulean hair.

_Oh._

Seungyoon’s brooding silence whenever Mino was away, the excited, twinkling eyes when he returns, and the happiness filling his aura whenever he talks to Jiho about Mino.

_Oh._

The softness in Seungyoon’s eyes as he stared up at Mino, the protectiveness in Mino’s stance when he wrapped an arm around Seungyoon.

_Oh._

“I see,” Jiho nods to himself. “Everything makes sense now.”

Seungyoon turns to look at him, stunned. “Huh?”

Jiho smiles at him, understanding filling his system as he looks at Seungyoon’s eyes. “The richer color of your flowers. The added sweetness and poignant tones of your songs, your varying storms of emotions whenever you’re with Mino—I understand it now. _Love_ , huh?”

“Uh, um, yeah,” Seungyoon looks down, cheeks rosy. He then looks up shyly and says very softly, “Are you…mad or…what…at me?”

Jiho blinks at his brother’s words, and chuckles. “Now, what makes you say that?”

“Be-because I’m a…guy, and Mino is, too…” 

Seungyoon’s tone reminds Jiho of when the former was a child, shy and terrified because of the mistakes he’d committed before. Mistakes he’d thought were grave, but for Jiho…they were nothing.

Jiho smoothed his brother’s hair reassuringly. “Seungyoon, you dear stupid boy, love is never restricted for a specific gender. No one ever said that a boy must only love a girl, or vice versa. Anyone can love, regardless of gender. So why are you scared?”

“Well, uh, um…” Seungyoon stammers, his face getting redder. “I...just…”

“You’d never fallen in love before, I forgot,” Jiho mutters teasingly. “Thus the confusion and anxiety you’re feeling.”

Seungyoon just pouts at him, unable to speak. Jiho can’t help tousling the spring god’s hair at his expression, looking adorably vulnerable. It fills the battle god with bittersweet nostalgia—it was if just a day ago, Seungyoon was the timid, quiet little boy who preferred books and plants rather than high-tier magic, and now he’s the powerful, outspoken spring god...

Seungyoon had rarely shown anyone this side of him—reserved and unguarded, almost child-like. Only Jiho knew of this, and now maybe even Mino.

Jiho can’t help feeling a bit envious of it. Just a bit. 

At the corner of his eye, he spots purple lilacs blooming, their sweet scent in the air. It is almost summer, yet a spring flower all of sudden…

_Indeed the spring god, all right._

“Seungyoon, I’m really happy you found someone who could be truly happy with,” Jiho tells his brother gently. “and you’ve experienced the spring of love in your heart. You’ve finally found someone who took you out of your shell—something I’d tried doing but ended up failing anyway.”

The spring god smiles shyly at him, his fox eyes twinkling with happiness. “Thank you, hyung.”

“But I think I’m still gonna interrogate Mino, just in case,” Jiho says sternly, almost a muted growl. “That punk, if he ever dares to hurt you…”

“Aish, hyung!” Seungyoon chuckles a bit shakily. “Don’t scare Mino now.”

“I can only promise you one thing, Seungyoon—I won’t be a bother, I swear. But if he dares mess up don’t expect me to be the kind hyung.” The afternoon sky starts to darken as he says those words, with thunder rolling faintly.

“Jiho-hyung, seriously.”

“And what’s wrong with that?” he raises a brow.

A crooked smile appears on his little brother’s lips. “I’ll feel hurt if Mino messes this up, of course—but pray your thunder bolts are faster than my poison ivy.”

Jiho bursts out laughing, hugging his brother tightly. “Yeah, you really are my baby brother, all right. But don’t annihilate him, okay?”

“Of course I won’t. I don’t want to lose him, you know.”

Loyalty, devotion, love—all these, Jiho can definitely feel it from Seungyoon’s heart. So clear, and so overwhelming, he can almost taste it on his tongue.

_I honestly don’t know who’s more fortunate—is it Mino, or is it my brother?_

He smiles to himself, seeing asters and forget-me-nots on their vases. _Maybe both._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ****by way of/through flowers and songs**  
>   
>  Hi!  
>   
> Starting from today, all the fics in these series will be on a **hiatus** mode, because I'm kinda finishing a project while juggling my pre-reviews for my board examination months from now. I hope you guys understand~ ;; Don't worry, it won't take too long!  
>   
> Thank you so much for reading and supporting my fics! I love you all *^^*  
> 

**Author's Note:**

> To know more tidbits + random stuff I add about the gods, check this [thread](https://twitter.com/cieruleaxxe/status/1064387887649574912) here.  
>   
> and if you have any Q's go straight to my [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/hoonyslobelias)


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